An Illness of the Body
by BeeHawYeeHaw
Summary: An odd death shows up in Cardiff, the team are brought in to have a look. It must be alien, but which species? REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED
1. Monday 11th, 2008

The day had just turned to night, sun dipping low behind the horizon with the moon glowing in the sky. It was around 6pm and that time of year where you'll hear someone give a comment or two about the loss of daylight so early. It might go something like this:

_"It's only six o'clock, Harvey! Look how dark it is."_

_"I know, it is almost unbelievable. It happens so quick."_

_"I don't want our Katie out in this, it's not safe."_

_"Don't you worry Debbie, she'll be fine…now what's for tea? I'm starving."_

_"Your favourite, my love, a steak with Yorkshires!"_

A conversation you'll hear at least once a year, as though the clocks never go back annually. The British public were odd.

But besides that, the city of Cardiff was dark. Yet, not completely dead. Orange lampposts lighting up corners and the flashing of headlights from moving cars. An apartment building has windows light up or switch off in some sort of unintentional and unprepared morse code.

In far left room of the fifth floor a silhouette was cast on a pastel curtain, room lit brightly.

Eryn stared at herself in the mirror. There was something wrong. It wasn't her frizzy, ginger hair, nor was it the giant zit that had sprung up on her button nose. Her teeth were clean and eyebrows plucked. Her freckles dotted along her cheeks looked the same. Even the sharp bone of her jaw nothing wrong with it.

She supposed it was the out-of-place rash on her cheekbones. A vivid, a cherry-red with little pimples. It had been pink when it first arose, but that had been months ago, going on eight in total. Yes, she had seen a doctor and yes she had been applying the prescribed cream. But nothing had really worked.

It was ugly. Ruined the perfectly pale complexion she had grown to love. It clashed with her auburn hair. Make-up did nothing to hide the pink patch. And the itching drove her made. Eryn had managed to break a nail while itching it. It had pissed her off, the acrylic nails all having to be thrown away. An utter waste.

The skin of her cheek had been cut too, just adding to her misfortune. The trickle of blood had washed away the expensive foundation she decided to wear that day. Eryn had to detore to the bathroom, stem the bleeding snd reapply her make-up. This had left her being five minutes late to her lunch date.

So now as Eryn glared at the rash with full force, she dabbed at it with the foundation-covered beauty blender. It gave a mild irritation as the sponge pushed down on the raised bumps. But she didn't care. Eryn needed to get ready, for tonight she was going to out. She wore a tight mini-shirt, a sequinned and silver lowcut, loose top. Her heels were exceptionally high.

Now all she had to do was finish painting her face.

However the dirtiest sponge fell from her grip as a sharp sting ran through her head. Her eyes fell shut for a moment, breathing through it. She put it down to a headache, grumbling to herself but determined to go out nightclubbing. She'd take some painkillers before she goes. And as Eryn grabbed the dropped blender, a ringing sounded in her ears and she fell forward, clutching at the counter in front. A pounding covered her whole head. No, not her head, her brain.

Eryn's skull didn't hurt, it was her brain.

She pushed down on her head, hoping to alleviate the pain but it did nothing. The pain only growing in intensity. Her head felt heavy and Eryn swore she felt something move against the organ in her skull.

"Shit- fuck."

Eryn looked up at her reflection. Make-up half applied and nowhere near ready to go out. The pain stopped. Perhaps it was a migraine? A killer one at that. She reached for the beauty blender again, taking a breather and closing her eyes. "It's just a headache Eryn. Nothing to stop you going out. You need to go out tonight."

The woman took another brush from her kit, handle shaped like a uniforn horn with a sharp end. She'd just dabbed it in some blusher when a voice floated into her ear. Eryn spun around. Nothing but her empty bathroom with a closed door. The voice spoke again.

_"Do it."_ It said. She flung open the door. Brush still in hand. What if it was a murderer? It was hardly any protection. The short hall was dark. Eryn slammed her hand to the wall, searching for the light switch. The light blinded her briefly.

"Who's there?"

But she couldn't see anyone.

_"Do it!"_

She whirled around again, swearing. She thought they were behind her. But it was just the same old empty bath.

'I-i said, who is there? If it's you Huw, I'll- I'll throw out your Star Wars collection!"

_"Do it! Do it! Do it !"_

A strangled scream tore from Eryn's throat and suddenly the block lit up like a Christmas tree.


	2. Tuesday 12th, 2008 A

The squeal of tires sounded in the distance before you even saw the vehicle. D.I. Swanson sighed deeply. She already knew who it was, unhappy that they'd been called. No eager to see the team swagger in, not wanting to experience Harkness' unprofessional flirting. How she'd seen women and men alike swoon to it, Swanson seemed to be one of the few that were immune.

The flashing azure lights rolling down the street. Blinding and cutting through the early morning, pouring rain which splattered down on the bonnet sounding like a herd of miniature horses. Swanson stood safety under an umbrella but that didn't stop the cold nipping at her skin, exposed or not. It was completely miserable. Reflecting the sombre nature of this meeting in full capacity.

Once the large vehicle had pulled to a stop - label confirming that yes, this was Torchwood - three people go out. The unmistakable greatcoat of Captain Jack, a smaller man whom she believes was called Owen or Ewan, and the ex-police officer Gwen Cooper. No smartly dressed Welsh lad Swanson actually had the patience for. At least he had some sense of procedure and politeness.

"Kathy Swanson! What a delight!"

"It would seem…follow me." She replied curtly, in no mood for pleasantries. She didn't like how they would be stealing another one of her cases.

"Straight down to business, I like it. So, what do we have?'

The Inspector led the trio through an apartment block, taking the time in the lift to explaining things.

"A young woman has been killed. Her name was Eryn Coats, 20 years of age and quite a bright girl. Studying a degree in contemporary history and halfway through her final year of Uni."

"Initial thoughts?" Asked Cooper, heart clearly going out to the victim.

"They want to put it down to murder, but there was no sign of forced entry and nothing valuable was stolen."

"Why not suicide?"

"It's highly unlikely, she was doing okay financially and academically. A recent break up said her friends, but she never showed signs of depression or suicidal tendencies. And by the looks of her, she was getting ready to go out."

"Her friends?

"Martha Swindley and Annabelle Carkeen confirm that she never showed last night."

"Why didn't they phone?" Piped in Harkness, glancing at her briefly. They all stepped out of the lift, one after the other. Swanson continued to lead them to the further room down the left hall.

"They did. But they put it down to her being asleep. The break up: she'd lost her girlfriend a couple of months ago. Thought maybe she wasn't ready to find another gal yet…she's just through to the bathroom."

Harkness led his not-so-merry team through the victim's apartment as the Inspector trailed along behind. A quiet "oh" left Cooper's mouth as she finally saw the body. Swanson glanced into the room, lips set in a grim line.

The girl laid on the on the tiled floor, arms speead wide with her hair pooling around her head. A thin trail of blood left the corner of her mouth, almost blending in with the cherry-red lipstick she wore. Her clothes are still on, underwear undisturbed so thankfully (thank god, Swanson had though) her body wasn't violated sexually. Her forehead was a bloodied mess, chips of marble embedded skin from where it had collided and broken the counter. Protruding from her left eye was the glittering, blush-covered make-up brush Swanson assumed she had been using prior.

But they weren't why they'd called in Torchwood.

"She's missing all of her organs, Jack." Stated the Owen once they'd ushered the D.I away with SOCO. "Each one, I'm sure. Definitely murder, but not human."

"All of them?" Gwen gasped, glancing at the sunken in abdomen of the women. She quickly looked away, trying not gag as she thought back to the Brecon Beacons. Only the villain there was human. "Wait, how do we know they're alien?"

"There's no spilt blood for starters, apart from her face. But second to that, there are no incisions whatsoever on her body."

"None?"

"None...Jack have you ever heard of this?"

"No, nothing capable of this. Swanson said no break in, so maybe it could teleport? Or she let it in?…"

"A shapeshifter?" Gwen suggested as Owen continued packing up the corpse.

"Maybe, help Owen get out victim into the SUV. I'll talk to our favourite D.I."

* * *

Ianto helped Owen carry the body bag to the autopsy bay, listening to Jack fill Tosh in on all of the details. The Japanese woman spoke up once he'd done.

"Every organ?"

"Yeah"

"And you've never heard of it?"

"Not at all." Ianto came up topside and wandered over

"I can have a look in the archices, sir."

"Good thinking, you head down there with Gwen." Ianto nodded and let Gwen walk past before following along. "Tosh, you keep searching other possible incidents. Owen, you do your autopsy."

"Already on it Jack. Although there ain't much to see inside her." Owen started with the autopsy, wearing his apron along with some disposable gloves, scalpel in hand.

He ran it length-wise over the corpse's chest, slicing into the grey skin. He created two more incisions from each shoulder diagonally to creat a 'Y' shape. Owen then peeled back the skin to access the muscle and carve open that too.

By now, the doctor was used to rummaging around the insides of human and alien, but the sight of this woman's vacant chest still left him a little shocked. Each organ has been taken precisely.

The lungs were slices off right at the trachea. Kidneys no longer attached to the ureter tubes. The liver, the pancreas, even the ovaries were gone. But the bones and tubing still remained intact.

Afterwards, Owen moved onto the head, first slicing the skin laterally across the cranium. Second, he folded the scalp forward to explose her skull. After that, the doctor cut through the bone to remove the top dome. Inside was nothing. Her brain too was gone. Stolen.

He wasn't exactly as surprised with this discovery after seeing the woman's torso. The brain had been separated perfectly from where the medulla would have been, leaving the spinal cord behind and the meninges layer behind. But for now, Owen continued his work. Speaking aloud to remember his findings so he (Ianto) could copy up his report in his (Ianto's) own time.

Owen had never see such excellent work, he realised in slight awe,

even his own steady hand could never be so accurate.

And the mystery about how they removed the organs, Owen couldn't wrap his head around it. It was like they'd been cut from the inside. And not a drop of blood slip. Owen only assumed they'd been stolen after her death, but if they were to sell them, they'd need to get them in a cooling storage quick. The killer-stroke-thief was definitely alien.

It had to be.

* * *

Jack stepped out of his office at the call of his name. Toshiko sat at her desk, glasses perched on her small nose as she beckoned him over.

"What's up Tosh?"

"I was looking into organ consuming creatures and only two that came up I thought sounded similar enough."

"Go on." Jack glanced at her screen without really looking.

"There's a Korean legend, the Gumiho. They're evil beings that will feed in flesh and organs. Only it targets boys."

"The Phii Porb is a Thailand spirit that uses a host to consume a living person's organs and blood. This one is more likely to go after women and children, but has been known to prey on men."

"So, it's either a evil being who suddenly thought equal rights meant eating both women and men. Or, it's possessing people. Neither sound like they could remove someone's insides without making a mark, but stranger things have happened."

"You don't think they're real…right?"

"I mean, who knows Tosh. Myths could be based on aliens who have managed to make it to earth." Tosh nodded and pulled her glasses of her face, glancing at the clock. Jack made note of the time. "Brilliant work, Tosh. We'll bring it up to the others later, I'll get Ianto and Gwen to come up soon. Ss'almost lunchtime."


	3. Tuesday 12th, 2008 B

The archives were Ianto's domain, his kingdom, his area of expertise. Sorted by himself and just how he wants it. Ianto had total control over it, hardly anyone else came down here in fear of angering the archivist. Ianto also controlled their supply of coffee and biscuits…be could sense a misplaced item from a mile away.

It was cold in the lower levels of the hub and further away from the surface. Maybe a little uninviting with its ominously large shelves and lack of natural light. There were limited cameras down here, the surface area too vast to install one for every spot. Ianto like that though. Gave him a sense of privacy.

There was his office too. Nothing special. Just a bunk, a desk and some filing cabinets. No cameras. Jack liked to use it when he was too impatient to wait out the day. Ianto too.

"So, do you think it's alien?" Gwen asked once the two were deep into the archives.

"What d'you mean? It can't be human." Ianto answered, eyes scanning the twenty-six steel shelves that ran so far back they were longer than a lorry with its load. He couldn't decide which one. They didn't know what the enemy will look like, nor its species and origin planet.

"Yeah, but that's what we thought with those villagers."

Ianto decided to look down 'O' for organ. It took them both closer to the other end of the archives, Ianto used to the exercise while Gwen panted a little beside him. Ianto let her catch her breath before he spoke up again.

"I guess, but Jack said there was no entry point, so it must be alien."

"Alien tech at least." She shrugged.

"Let's hope we don't run into it unprepared." Gwen didn't answer but Ianto caught her nod.

They were searching for a while. Torchwood had a lot of files. Although Ianto did enjoy searching through his immaculate filing system, keeping an eye on Gwen in case she misplaced a document. He knew she knew he was watching her.

The comfortable silence they had found themselves in didn't last long to Ianto's disappointment.

"How are you and Jack?"

"You like your questions…" Ianto muttered, not looking over as he scanned through a file about the wrong type of organ.

"Mmm, well?" He sighed, showing the document back in its place and moved into the next. The archivist wasn't sure if the question bothered him because it was from Gwen or because it was about Jack.

'There isn't much to tell, we're fine."

"He's treating you well?"

"In more ways than one" Ianto said smoothly with a straight face until he glanced over at Gwen, who burst out laughing. Then a smirk grew.

"Ianto! You dirty sod. " she struggled to say between fits of giggles. Soon Ianto joined her. It echoed down the halls of the Archives.

Minutes passed and they both settled. They had gradually moved along the aisle, Ianto venturing off to grab the ladder to reach up to the higher shelves.

"Go anything Gwen?"

"No…you?" Ianto shook his head as he clambered down the ladder to move it along.

"I don't think we've encountered it before."

"Neither has Jack."

"Just our luck."

As he dropped down to the floor, leather shoes creaking, Ianto thought of their next steps. The whole English language was at their disposal but they couldn't come up with anything but 'Organ' to relate to the creature. Perhaps he should look at specific organs. He could try 'Ovaries' first, then 'Pancreas'. Ianto quickly cycled through each organ, ordering them alphabetically and sharing the idea with his assistant.

They moved down the list of human organs, striking up a small conversation or commenting on some of the weirder items they discovered. As they looked for 'brain' and 'bladder', the topic became a little more domestic.

"Saw you had a date the other day."

"Gwen-"

"How was it?"

"We should be working," Ianto warned, not entirely keen on discussing his dating life with her, especially when he knows Gwen still harbours desires for Jack despite her engagement.

"I know! I know, I was wondering if I should take Rhys there, looked quite fancy." She sounded sincere and Ianto dropped his tense shoulders.

"Oh it was, Jack didn't like the wine though. Take Rhys there and bill it to Torchwood."

"Really?" Ianto gave a vague sound of affirmation, skim reading the information before him on brain-eating aliens. It could help so Ianto tucked it under his arm. "Oh aren't you a gentleman Ianto Jones."

"I do try, now back to work."

By the time two hours had flown past, the duo had found three different files. None exactly correlated, but it was a start. Static filled Ianto's ear and an American accent came through.

_"Ianto? Gwen?"_

"Yes, Jack?" He answered feeling a smile draw on his lips for no particular reason.

_"You found anything?"_

"Nothing solid. But some files that could match characteristics." Gwen now appeared at his side, holding one of the three files.

_"Bring them up when you're done. We're all missing you."_

" 'course Sir. Won't be long." The connection cut off and Ianto turned to the Welsh lady. "C'mon, Captain's calling."

* * *

Once they were back up in the surface Jack called for a meeting as soon as Owen was ready. In the meantime, Ianto wandered over to his coffee machine, files handed off to Gwen. It was about lunchtime and Ianto was starving. He searched through the cupboard, realising how similar both his jobs were. Looking through items to find for his teammate, although sandwiches wouldn't have to be sorted back and were a lot messier. Still, no one touched his archives and no one touched his coffee machine.

He decided to make a bunch of sandwiches for everyone: smoked salmon for Tosh; Jack took chicken with brown sauce; a simple cheese and butter for Gwen; and Ianto himself had tomatoes with cheese and some salad cream. Everyone took a coffee in their own special mugs. Then Ianto grabbed a smaller plate, dropped a handful of biscuits on there and finished just in time to take it all to the boardroom.

Jack summoned everyone there bar the dead doctor, allowing them all to eat beforehand. It just didn't feel right doing in front of Owen. Even though the man had said it was fine, Ianto always caught him staring longingly at the goodies in the middle. So they decided, as a group, not to eat while Owen was with them. At least not when they could help it.

Gwen was rolling through some story of her and her fiancé's drunken and teenagers shenanigans. Tosh nibbled on a biscuit, soaking up each detail of gossip she could, Ianto only half listened, enough to retell the tale but not enough to care. Jack on the other hand, had his mind somewhere else completely. He was watching his lover, napkin tucked into his shirt collar and sipping his coffee. With no warning, Ianto suddenly jerk in his seat, managing to no spill his drink. Gwen gave him a look, stopping her rambling while Tosh asks gently if he was okay.

Ianto dismissed them, letting Gwen continue as he glared at the man sitting at the head of the table. Jack was leant back in his seat, smug look gracing his face but not looking at Ianto. He reached under the table, thin fingers wrapping around the trouser-clad ankle that now resting in his lap. A foot resting dangerously on his crotch. Ianto scowled at Jack but didn't make to move the limb.

Ianto slipped his hand under the loose fabric of Jack's trousers, nails scratching lightly at the smooth skin underneath. He keeps his eyes ast away from the m sat diagonally from him as the foot pressed forward on his crotch. It was gradually, letting Ianto compose himself before the familiar feeling of arousal hit. The archivist withdrew his hand from the ankle, instead trailing along Jack's outstretched leg, reaching as far as he could without it being obvious to the women sitting not too far from him. Ianto couldn't do much, other than scratch lightly at the leg held out in front of him as Jack teased him with this foot.

The archivist wasn't usually down for playing footsies under the table while they had company, but Jack was bored, and when Jack was bored he got touchy. So, who was Ianto to stop him, it's not like he wasn't enjoying it. Ianto just wished he'd started it after the board meeting, then it could have carried on to something a little more active. Jack slowly rubbed his foot against Ianto a little more vigorously and the Welshman had to stifle a moan behind his coffee mug, nails digging in where his hand had once again clasped Jack's ankle.

Ianto shot Jack a glare that said he'd murder the Captain if he went any further and made a mess. Jack shot back a grin that somehow seemed more smug than before. . How the hell Ianto puts up with that man, he had no idea.

The pressure on his slowly waking cock was lifted as Owen walked into the room, Ianto had to catch the whimper that threatened to leave his mouth. Jack adjusted himself in his seat, subtly leaning down to pull his shoe back on. Ianto was going to get his own back later. But for now he securely pushed those thoughts away and locked them up for after hours.

Owen took his seat opposite Ianto, files dropping down on the didn't look impressed, like he knew what the two men had previously been up to. Ianto felt a blush creep up his neck, reagusting his collar and removing the napkin in the process.

"Now that we're all done, let's start the meeting." Jack clasped his hands together briefly, elbows leaning on the table. "Owen, you go first." Ianto silently thanked someone that Jack hadn't told him to start, he didn't trust his voice right now.

"Well, there ain't much to say other than every organ is completely gone. It's like a surgeon did it, only this surgeon wasn't human. And was way too precise."

"Too precise?" Asked Gwen.

"Not once in my career as a doctor have I seen incisions so neat. Each organ is cut free from the tubing connected to it, the lining of the chest cavity has no sign anything has been cut away. It's like they just disappear.

"But that's not possible...is it? "

"No, not that i've heard of." Jack slipped in.

"Well, her brain was gone too,. No sign of anyone cutting into her skull to remove it"

"Hmm...so we have an organ stealing alien that doesn't need to cut into the body to take them...and it's surprisingly neat in it's work." Jack then looked to the archivist, no implication to what had just transpired under the table. "Ianto? Anything?" Ianto looked over at him, clearing his throat before opening up the three handful of folders Gwen and himself found.

"We found some points that could link to this unknown creature, however they all come from different places. I have no idea if they're talking about the same alien, only that one took someone's kidney. But that was with a large bit. So that's out of the questions. Another had their lungs sucked out through their mouth. Again., I don't think that is our monster, too messy."

"There was no sign of anything being pulled through the trachea, anyway, the lungs would have been to delicate to do that. Something would have torn, or the pipe would have been damaged." Listed Owen.

"So not that then…" Jack muttered as he flicked through the file. Ianto chewed his lip slightly before rolling through the last few findings.

"That then leaves the last one. It held a description of the creature, apparently it looks a bit like a rat and feeds on the brain at night. But only at night. "

"She did die during the evening, or somewhere about that time" Tosh pipped up, setting her empty mug down. Owen tapped the surface in front of him.

"So this rat thing is a possibility, although, I can't see how it got to her brain without having to eat through the skin, muscles and bones."

Tosh had then gone one to explain the creatures she hsd found online, unfortunately neither really linking to what Ianto and Gwen found. By the end of the meeting the team couldn't decided which one might have been the killer, settling on looking for all three when investigating. Jack had also reminded them that it might not be any of them.

That left another level of mystery piled onto the case.


	4. Thursday 14th, 2008

"Kathy Swanson! What a delight!"

"I think you said the same exact thing last time, Captain."

"Did I?"

Swanson once again had watched the ominous Torchwood SUV roll in, lights flashing and wheel screeching. A lot less rain and a little darker this time. Still just as cold but that was just Cardiff. Three figures had sauntered over and Kathy felt some relief seeing the Welsh bloke with them. Tonight might not get any worse, she hoped.

Deja vu hit as the Inspector led the trio through the empty halls of an apartment block. This time they were only on the first floor, taking the stairs. The place was quiet, the floor cleared out by the first responders on her orders. They reached the taped over door, Swanson pushing it open and walking in.

"The victim is another female, aged 34. She had a family, a husband and a kid. He's five." Kathy recalled, guilt hitting her knowing that child will grow up motherless. "She worked in the local Debenhams, in the shoe section."

Jack wandered around the room as Swanson spoke, picking up a photo frame which held the victim and her family mentioned. The woman looked as happy as ever, arms around her small child as the dad help her. She has black hair, brown eyes, dark skin. A lovely smile, Jack noted.

The room had a cold feel to it despite the warm orange that splashed its walls. An open living room held a sofa, television, cupboards and kids toys. A small hallway led to the rest of the house. A modern twist to the design, more photos dotted around the place, plants sitting on the shelves attached to the left wall.

"She's in the kitchen. The husband found her, he's gone to stay at his mother's with the boy."

"What's their names?" Jack asked, looking over as he stepped over a pile of transformer dolls

"Rebecca, David, and Alfie, the kid, Chapman."

"And you think it's connected to the other girl, why?"

"It's not every day a mother dies and her other half finds her without any organs, Captain." Kathy drawled.

"You've got me there, where's the kitchen?" The D.I. led Harkness and the doctor to the crime scene, leaving the Welsh one behind. She didn't bother to question it, knowing she'll be kicked out soon enough.

* * *

Ianto watched as the others followed D.I. Swanson further into the apartment. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation. It was horrible for sure, everything death is horrible. But they still had no idea what type of alien they were dealing with. It was frustrating, to say the least.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, raking his eyes over the details of the room. It was in a mess, toys littering the floor, a half-drunk cup of tea on a side table. The TV remote was tossed to the side, a book lying open. Thomas Harris' _The Silence of the Lambs_ Ianto noticed. It was like the room had been frozen in time as the family dealt with this horror that had befallen them.

Ianto circled around the white, sleek sofa, looking at the collection of books the couple owned. He then glanced at a few photos. To him they seemed like an ordinary family, so why was the wife killed by this creature? Did it follow females? It's a coincidence only Jack didn't believe in coincidences, but two female victims didn't mean it wouldn't target men. If so, how was it choosing its targets? Age? Jobs? Or just random?

While theorising, Ianto paced the room and stepped on something. It let out a disgusting squelch. He took a step back, lifting his foot. Flattened to the carpet was a bug, a centipede by the looks of it. A large centipede, with its guts spilling out and half smooshed into the floor. Ianto grimaced, its insides stuck to the fine leather. Another pair ruined and they weren't even fighting anything. Ianto brought the handkerchief from his breast pocket and carefully wiped the gunk away before folding the cloth up, intending on incinerating it. Ianto took another glance at the poor creature, marvelling at its size. Even squished it looked like the fattest bug he's seen.

"Poor sod." He muttered, making sure his shoe held no more centipedes guts. How the hell the thing got into the apartment, Ianto had no clue, definitely wasn't a pet. With his dress-shoe cleaned, Ianto kept exploring the Chapman residence, finding nothing that a typical family wouldn't have.

Soon, Swanson was walking back into the living area, and giving Ianto a look. She wasn't impressed with Torchwood's presence but these two had some sort of mutual ground. Ianto wasn't brash with her and Kathy wasn't so hostile to him. It helped to have a good enough relationship with local law enforcement. Having Gwen on the team could only get them so far (mainly just PC Davidson).

"What did he do, Detective?" Ianto asked she was clearly annoyed at Torchwood's boss and their theft of her crime scene.

"What hasn't he done, Mr Jones." She said, heading towards the door. "I'll be seeing you around. Catch whatever did this, you hear?" Ianto gave a curt nod as she left. He turned to follow where the other two had gone, listening to Jack's voice as it got louder.

"Find anything, Ianto?" The Captain asked as he appeared in the kitchen. The doctor leaning over the woman's corpse.

"No, sir. Just an ordinary family."

Just before they'd been called out, the two of them had been in the middle of some late-night physical activities. Ianto getting his own back for Jack's little stunt during the board meeting. Being interrupted on the buildup to finishing wasn't something either man enjoyed. But it has left Jack bitter, tempted to just ignore the crisis and carry on.

"No connections?"

"Only that they're both females."

"Huh…well Owen is finishing up, no organs again. You can see the cause of death."

It was clear she'd done it herself, or at least it was made to look like that. The whole room had a thin layer of water over it - Ianto's shoes we're definitely ruined now, his socks wet too - the sink still over spilling without the tap running. A lamp lay on its side upon the counter, glass broken and the whole thing dripping wet. Its was attached to an extension lead, long enough to reach the miniature lake that everyone stood in. Ianto shuddered, feeling sick knowing how Rebecca Chapman met her end.

"Done Jack." Announced Owen, gingerly packing the body away into a bag.

"Let's get going then, Owen you can start the autopsy tomorrow-"

"Tomorrow? I can do it now, ss'not like I have plans."

"Yes, tomorrow. It can wait, you can find something to do."

"And what will you be doing? Actually no, don't finish that sentence, I'll do it tomorrow, I don't need to see your and Ianto's nightly activities."

Ianto rolled his eyes as the two bickered their way back to the SUV. Still, he hoped, the rest of the night would be uninterrupted

* * *

It turns out the Rift was against the two lovers having time to themselves as it spat out a duo of weevils.

Jack had died, Ianto's shoes were completely past saving, and no one got any sex.

The Captain now sat at his desk, brooding and grumbling as he watched Ianto fix his tie. They'd both been too exhausted to even think about making love once they were back and any chance at a morning round was dispelled by the proximity alarm blaring out.

It was Owen who showed early. Jack had muttered about the bastard interrupting on purpose, earning an eye roll from Ianto and a kiss.

"Ianto, when Gwen arrives I'd like you two to go see the husband. Interview him and then any immediate family. If you, we need to chase up the first victim's friends."

''Of course, sir."

"Oh, and could I have one of your terrific, to die for coffees please?" Jack threw in a warm smile with his hands pressed together in a beg. He was awarded another eye roll but no kiss this time.

''Of course, sir. Anything else?" Ianto asked, already leaving the room.

''Only you."

"That will have to wait, sir!" He called when he was out of Jack's office, heading straight to the little kitchenette. He could feel Jack's eyes on him the whole way, smirking to himself. Ianto set to work filling the coffee machine and cleaning out four mugs. He then sat in his chair, listening to the machine work its magic.

Yes, he was annoyed about the lack of sex last night, but falling asleep after the weevil chase had been his main priority. The lazy kisses he'd woken up to had been nice and enticing but the thought of Owen being in the same vicinity had been a major turn off.

_"Jack will just have to wait."_ Ianto thought as he filled up each mug.


	5. Friday 15th, 2008

Gwen sat across from David Chapman, a mug of tea sitting between her hands. A round, oak table separated the two in a small kitchen. A box of tissues were between them. A notepad lay open on her knee and a pen nearby.

"Again, Mr Chapman, I'm really sorry."

"David, and thank you."

"I understand that you were the one who found your wife?" She said softly, wanting to be as carefully with her questions as she could. David nodded.

"Thank god it wasn't Alfie, ya'know. It was horrible. We'd finished dinner, Bex wss washing up while I got Alfie ready for bed." He cleared his throat, looking a little lost in the memory. "We let him play once he's in his pyjamas. He likes his Transformers. Bex and I bought him a Transformer set for his birthday." David cut himself off with a choked aob. Gwen then offered him the box of tissues and a kind smile.

"Take your time, no rush."

After a few seconds or so to collect himself, the husband wiped his eyes and spoke again.

"So um- yeah, she was washing the dishes in the kitchen. I was going to take Alfie to bed soon and went to her to say goodnight with him. Thankfully he'd been half asleep, face buried into my neck when I'd gone in. The water was still live…I almost- oh god-"

Gwen let him grieve more, not pushing for answers. David's shouldez shook as he buried his face in his hands.

"Alfie is safe, David. He's in the room next door, remember." The man nodded, taking another handful of tissues.

"I'm so glad I noticed the wet carpet before going in. I could see her from the doorway and I called an ambulance…they couldn't do anything, the power had to be shut off before anyone could get in there."

"Okay…do you know why she might have…?" Gwen asked gently. David shook his lethargically.

"No, no idea. I wasn't expecting it…I thought she was happy with life, she has- she had me, had Alfie. Told me a promotion was coming her way too. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know David, I'm really sorry."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ianto sat in the living room with the victim's mother-in-law. He also held a cup of tea, duly sipping it as he perched on a arm chair. The woman sat on a larger, longer sofa watching the young boy who stared inventively at the TV before him. He was oblivious to the tragedy that hit his family.

"Ms Chapman, why don't you tell me about Rebecca?"

"Oh she was a lovely woman, strong, powerful. But kind too. I adored her." She smiled fondly to herself. "She loved Alfie so much, David too. She was a wonderful mother and daughter-in-law. Lost her own mother last January, it was rough but we helped Rebecca through it, her dad passed years before I knew her."

"Did she enjoy her work?"

"Oh yeah, gunning for manager she was. Really enjoyed helping people as well as fashion. I believe her coworkers were nice, personally I never heard a complaint."

"What about your son?"

"He didn't work, he was a stay-at- home dad." Ianto nodded, glancing over at the boy.

"And Alfie?"

"He's a bright little boy, an absolute angel. Loves his robot cars, he does. Space too." The kid seemed to realise they were talking about him because he broke away from the TV and walked over to them. He held a truck in his grasp. Ianto offered him a friendly smile.

"Do you like Transformer?"

"Of course, they're awesome." He then held up a red and blue truck, giving back a bright, if not gap filled, grin..

"This is Optimus Prime! He's my favourite."

"I have a niece who likes Transformers, her favourite is Megaton. My nephew isn't a fan, he prefers his sports, mostly rugby" Alfie listened, attention hooked, nodding along.

"I like swimming! Me and mummy go swimming a lot, it's such fun." He exclaimed, ignorant to the loss of his mother. Ianto felt a pang of guilt hit him but he held his smile.

"That's lovely."

There was movement from the kitchen, the chairs scraping along the floor. Soon Gwen appeared in the doorway.

"Are you done officer?" The grandmother asked. Gwen nodded so Ianto gulped down the rest of his tea. Alfie focused his attention back on his toy.

"Thank you for your time, Ms Chapman. Goodbye Alfie." The kid waved at Ianto as they were lead back to the front door. With another set of valedictions, the two Torchwood agents walked back to Ianto's Audi. Gwen had a grim look and Ianto knew that hearing the story was worse than only knowing of it.

* * *

"Jack?"

"Yes, Owen?" The Captain said, appearing in the entrance way of the autopsy bay.

"This case is exactly the same, all organs gone, precisely cut, and no entry incision." Jack opened his mouth to speak but his words were drowned out by the roaring of the Rift alert and Tosh's shouting.

"Weevils! Looks like just one Jack."

"How close are Gwen and Ianto?"

"Maybe ten minutes out, give or take."

"Phone them, they can handle it."

* * *

"That was Tosh, says there's a weevils closeby, the we can head back." Gwen said, snapping her phone shut. Ianto nodded beside her and followed the directions she relayed. Gwen wasn't best pleased, lunch would be rolling in soon and she hoped to spend it with Rhys.

The familiar, grotesque figure of a weevil shot past them and down an alleyway. "Let me out here Ianto. Then you can block it off at the other end with the car."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh hush." Gwen scooped up her phone, earpiece, and gun. The latter was stuffed down the waistband of her jeans. Gwen set off once she was out of the Audi and hardly payed attention to the wheels squealing and driving off. She chased down the alleyway the alien had gone. Perhaps this hunt will be a quick on; corner it, spray it, and get out in time for Rhys' lunch break.

It didn't take long for the creature to come into view, groaning it's alien song to itself and wearing its boiler suit. She still couldn't umderstand the boiler suit thing, were they born with it? Or do they have a weevil equivalent of Next on their planet?

Gwen tried to move quietly but the click of her boot heels echoed in the narrow space. The small weevil looked up, lips pulled back and baring its lethal, more dull and yellow, pearly whites. The spray canister sat heavy in her pocket. She needed to get a bit closer.

Suddenly the low roars of an engine startled her and the aliens. She whipped her head around to see Ianto's Audi parking itself at their only other exit. The weevil let out a wail and made a rush at Gwen. She had little time to react as the creature had her slammed into the wall, maw aiming for her throat. The Welshwoman's hand shot up between them, forcing the foul smelling head away with great effort. Her other hand was pinned, she needed to pull it free.

With lots of shuffling, twisting, and a soft cry Gwen managed to yank the limb from behind her back. It scrapped carelessly against the rough brick but that hardly stopped it from rummaging through her pockets and brandishing some weevil spray. It let out a throaty cry, stumbling away from Gwen and dropping to the floor. Swiftly she handcuffed it. "One down." Gwen cheered to herself.

She could hear Ianto moving closer, he'd missed out on the action, when a yell caught her attention completey and Gwen dropped the subdued weevil back to the floor.

Ianto's long form was being squashed under a second, larger and more aggressive weevil. The thing had its mouth around the archivist's shoulder. Claws deep in the soft flesh of his forearm. His gun and weevil spray lay scattered across the concrete, out of reach. Ianto's spare hand hit at the weevil with fruitless effort.

He fought to free his shoulder like it was a dog refusing to let go of a shoe, wanting desperate to rip it to shreds thanks to animal instincts. Except he couldn't just yank it free and the weevil was not Man's best friend.

Realisation caught up with her and Gwen leaped over the first alien, drawing her gun. She shot at it, hitting its shoulder not to kill but to deter. Once two more bullets were embedded in its body, then did it let go, scrambling away from the fallen man. Gwen's heart raced as it galloped towards her, fearing she'd be its next snack, but it kept on past her.

The ex-policewoman stuided as it crouched besides it's fallen companion. The weevil huddled close, like it knew the other. A mating pair? Gwen didn't know if they had that behaviour. These two seemed close, hairless heads bent close. Gwen wasn't even sure if they had different sexes, were all the same, or had something entirely different.

A soft whimper drew her back to Ianto. He held a hand pressed to his shoulder, trying to sit up with it proving a painful feat. She took a tentative step towards him.

"Ianto-" The Welshman looked over, almost in surprise like he'd forgotten she was there. Then the look of shock waa replaced by a grimace before settling with something neutral.

"I'm- I'm fine, go get the bastard."

With a nod she set upon her task. It prove quite easy with the creature dossile now it was with its companion. All it took was a quick spray of the can and some cuffs and both weevils were safety secured. She then got out her phone.

"Jack?…yeah we handled it...there were two actually…yes they're both cuffed." She rolled ber eyes, speaking up again. "Yan- no, no we didn't know so we couldn't call you…Jack! Shut up for a moment!… the surprise weevil got Ianto."

The line went quiet and so did Gwen before soft "Is he okay?"

cane through the line.

"He's…well he just gave me a thumbs up, so that means he's mostly okay and doesn't want you here...of course you're coming. I'm not surprised."

It didn't take long for Jack to show up in the heavy SUV, driving recklessly close to the edge of the alleyway. The familiar greatcoat whipped around his ankles as he ran towards them, Owen not too far behind. Gwen was ignored as Jack knelt down beside the injured Ianto.

"You didn't need to- 'm fine, Jack." Ianto said through pained and laboured breaths.

"Yeah, well I'm here now."

"So am I, so get him into the SUV, I'd prefer to treat him somewhere clean." Owen grimaced, looking around at the stacks of bin bags and undoubtedly germ ridden bins. Ianto cried out as Jack helped him up, apologising again and again until his lover was sat securely in the back.

"Gwen, you and I will get the weevils, then you can drive Ianto's car back." Jack ordered, he didn't wait for confirmation, surging ahead to deal with the aliens.

Meanwhile, Owen aided Ianto in peeling off his suit coat. He grabbed a towel from the boot and held it to Ianto's shoulder. Owen didn't apologise when Ianto hissed in pain, telling the younger man to keep the pressure on the wound. Owen then ripped open the sleeve of his shirt, ignoring Ianto's protests and looking at the claw marks. They hadn't ripped dangerously deep but the tears were still bleeding.

The car dipped under Jack's weight as he climbed in, looking back at the two.

"How is he?"

"Hurting and bleeding, so get us back carefully and I can help him."

"Yes doctor!"

* * *

Ianto lay on the medical bay table high off his arse.

All bandaged up, pain free, and drugged to hell.

"And alive, thankfully." A voice said above him. He had said that out loud.

"Mm, you did." Jack's face appeared above him, smiling with all the cockiness in the world. But it made Ianto smile too. Which in turn had Jack beaming all the more brighter. Ianto had little control over himself at the moment, but he quite liked not being in agony.

"My jacket…" Ianto slurred, remembering about the ruined garment.

"I know, I know." Jack cooed, knuckle gently gliding across his cheek.

"Gonna have to buy another suit…again."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Blame the Weevils."

"No. 'm blaming you." Ianto said bluntly, glaring at the man next to him. Jack chuckled and kisses his forehead.

"Now that's just rude." Ianto then nodded as his eyes slipped shut, feeling heavy and sluggish."Up you get, gorgeous, you'll feel better in my bed." Muscled arms were gentle as they helped the injured man sit up and swing his legs over the metal bench. Hands lingered on his hips as Ianto made to stand up, determined to walk to his car and rest in his own, spacious bed. He didn't want Jack's cramped campbed, no matter how comfy it was or if he gets to lie on top of his lover.

However his limbs had their own ideas and decided Jack's space was a much better option. So Ianto felt rather than saw himself fall, his mind still running slower than a slug. Those ever so warm limbs looped around his clothed torso and the ground disappeared from underneath Ianto. He let out a noise of alarm, hand flying up to grasp Jack's neck as he realised he was being held bridal style. The Welshman's injured arm was held tight to his chest by a sling, Owen not wanting the wound to be aggravated.

The rhythmic movements of Jack's steps gradually lulled Ianto into a doze, hardly out of the medical bay and he was asleep.


	6. Saturday 16th, 2008

Ianto woke to a cold leg. The rest of him was satisfyingly warm but his leg was cold. He opened his eyes slightly, taking a moment to realise he was tucked up in Jack's bunker. The duvet was wrapped around his body but his leg has managed to come free. Jack wasn't with him either. Ianto buried his face back in the pillow, fully intent on sleeping for another hour or two until the realisation hit him. Ianto sat up too fast, hand feeling around for where ever his watch was, and jostling his wrapped arm.

"Shit." He hissed, his shoulder and arm starting to throb. The disastrous weevil round up came to mind. He groaned and fell back onto Jack's bed only to sit up again when he remembers his quest for the time. His watch was sat obediently on Jack's bedside drawer, his cufflinks right beside it. Ianto rubbed his eyes as he looked at the hands, head feeling heavy from the abnormal amount of hours he'd slept through. It was just after half eleven.

He'd slept in.

"Shit." Ianto repeated with a little more feeling this time. He manoeuvred himself to the edge of the campbed, searching for his clothes. There was no suit drapped over the rungs of the ladder nor on the chair Jack kept outside of his ensuite. Ianto was only in a top and some briefs, he couldn't go out like that, not matter how times Jack has tried to sell the benefactors of being almost naked - or completely nude - the new uniform.

(He wouldn't have minded so much if the rest of the team weren't going to be there.)

Ianto then eyed the metal ladder, stumped on how he'd get out. He was one handed and frankly didn't want to be caught struggling. He also didn't want to call Jack, the stubborn and proud part of his brain refusing to let go of the slither of dignity it might have. "Bugger."

He glanced back at the bed, debating whether he should just go back to sleep but the opening of the bunker's hatch decided for him. Tan boots popped into view and Jack came sliding down the ladder. "You shouldn't do that, ya'know. You could hurt yourself."

Jack spun around at his voice, a look of surprise only lasting a millisecond before a grin broke out, arms wide and enveloping Ianto in a carefully but strong hug.

"You're awake!"

"Yes I am." Ianto smiled, kissing his cheek.

"How d'you feel?"

"Like I've been eaten by a bear and my head is full of candyfloss."

"Nice. I brought some clothes, well Tosh got them but here." Ianto hadn't noticed the bundle in Jack's hand until it was thrust into his arm. Some jeans and a zip-up hoodie, some socks, and some underwear.. "You need help?"

"No…yes"

And Ianto thought Jack's ego couldn't get any bigger.

* * *

Jack's cockiness only grew even more as he helped Ianto out of the bunker, calling himself Ianto's hero and saviour. He'd earned a slap on the bicep. Ianto was seated on their sofa while Jack stood, arms folded, and face set.

"You're not doing anything but light duties today, Ianto. Unless you can make coffee one handed."

"But-"

"Doctor's orders. It's not like you can do much." Jack stated.

"I can still interview people." Ianto argued. Jack let out a soft and short laugh.

"And wear yourself out? Owen would remove my head."

Ianto then stood up, facing Jack who's, despite being the same height, hax heels that forced Ianto to look up slightly. Ianto put on his best serious face.

"We need to catch this thing." Jack reached out his hand, rubbing Ianto's uninjured shoulder. It soothed him a bit but mostly made Ianto desire one of Jack's top quality massages.

"And we will, you just need to rest. Take a week or two off if you want, I'll call if you're needed."

"Jack."

"I promise."

"Who's interviewing Eryn's friends? Rebecca's friends?" Ianto pointed out, hoping it would work.

"Tosh and Gwen, me and Owen if need be. Really Ianto, don't worry." Jack reassured again, kissing his forehead tenderly.

"I'm not, I'm just-"

"I'll call." Jack smiled, pure sincerity in his voice. "You take some time off to heal, once you're back you can catch up."

Ianto gave in.

"Fine. Fine, I got some things I need to do anything. Household stuff, bills."

"Don't over work yourself." Jack adviced and Ianto rolled his eyes. "Oh, and take these." A bottle of pills was thrust into his hand. "Owen said they'll help with any pain. He'll come round sometime to check you over."

"Thanks."

"I'll visit too."

"I'll be looking forward to it." Ianto winked and Jack grinned, patting his arse. Ianto waved his hand away.

"Need a lift?" Jack offered although Ianto was sure he'd be in Jack's company for longer than just a car ride.

"I'll take a cab. They need you here."

"They can manage, I'm sure." Ianto rolled his eyes again but gave Jack a lighthearted smile.

"Honestly Jack, you just told me not to overwork."

"I could do the work?…" The Captain pouted.

"Not today Jack."

"I'll see you out then." Ianto didn't argue and gladly accepted his coat when Jack handed it to him. He couldn't put it on properly but he'd rather have it with him than not.

Jack then accompanied Ianto out of the hub and tourist office, staying with him as they waited for a taxi. It warmed Ianto inside. Something so small as staying with him made Ianto feel all gooey.

Jack Harkness had really gotten to him.

* * *

Jack waved Ianto off as the vehicle pulled away from the Plass. Part of him wished he's joined Ianto, not just for sex but to be around him. He liked being near that Welshman. He could look after him.

But the other part of him knew they had to catch this elusive killer and stop the deaths from happening. They needed as many hands on deck as they could.

Jack spent another minutes outside, just looking out at the sea. A number of people were about. A mother with two children, a old man and his dog, some teenagers. The seagulls of course, screaming away in the skies. Pigeons too.

Perfect. It made Jack smile. Something so simple was so perfect.

Being drawn from his thoughts by a screaming child, Jack made his way back inside. He'd check in on the team, see how things were going. Jack held down on his earpiece.

"Ladies!"

* * *

_"Ladies!"_Jack's smooth voice came through the their ears._"How's it going?"_

"It's going well, Jack." Tosh replied. "How is Ianto?"

_"He woke up not too long ago but he's gone home now."_

"And you didn't go with him?" Gwen asked, eyes focused on the road.

_"I offered but he said no."_

"Jack Harkness taking a no and actually listening, huh."

_"Oi, I'm capable of doing that. I just choose not to."_

"Mmm." Tosh decided to cut in before things escalated. "Back to busines, we spoke to the two friends of Eryn..."


	7. Wednesday 20th, 2008

Ianto silently twiddled his thumbs. Well, just the one thumb, his left one was confined in a sling where he couldn't twiddle it if he tried. His leg bounced energetically up and down, trainer tapping against the soft carpet underfoot. He wiped his sweaty palm on his thigh, deciding sitting down as no help and instead paced his living room. He then glanced at the clock, then his watch, then his phone. All told him it was almost twelve in the afternoon. A minute had passed since he last looked at them.

He was nervous yet excited. He hadn't felt like this in a while and Ianto wasn't entirely sure why. He hadn't felt like this when he went for any job interviews nor when he was meeting someone new. And he wasn't even working today, he had time off. It wasn't often he got longer than a day off even if he was injured. But he decided to spend it well so he'd called Rhiannon. She was free, Johnny was working, and the kids were off on a half-term or something.

The doorbell rung out loud and Ianto turned sharply. He moved to the doo,r swinging it opening in a haste. He couldn't help but smile as small arms wound themselves around his legs before he'd even said hello. Rhiannon stood with David at her side and a bag in her hand. And if Ianto looked down he'd find little Mica firmly attached to him.

"Hey, Rhi."

"They actually let you off, did they?" His sister joked, smiling back at him. She was just as happy to be spending the day with her little brother as he was. They'd grown apart but they were making it work now that he was in Cardiff indefinitely. Somehow he managed to detach his niece from his calves, stepping out of his flat with her.

"Mmhmm, ready then?"

* * *

Jack sat in his office stumped. They were two extra bodies up and nowhere at all in finding out what was killing these people. He shifted through some files, half wishing he never gave Ianto time off. He didn't know how the man could be so organised and on top of everything. He really needed the Welshman here. But no, he was at home resting after a nasty fight with a weevil, he was better off there. Jack would have to put up with it and maybe leave some for Ianto when he got back.

He rose from his chair, the seat creaking underneath him. Jack stretched, joints popping and the satisfyingly feeling spreading through his body. He sighed, readjusting his braces and walking out of his office.

Owen was down in his lair, busying away with the two new corpses while Tosh was at her desk as usual. Myfanwy screeched from her nest, recently fed. The Captain's wide strides carried him over to the small kitchenette, grabbing his striped mug and making himself a reasonably okay coffee. Nothing beat his lover's brew but they'd have to deal without it for now.

"Jack!" Owen called from the autopsy bay. Toshiko spun in her chair as Jack strode back past, sipping on his warm beverage.

"What's up, Owen."

"Eryn died just over a week ago, right?" Jack nodded, watching his friend. "Well our two new mates died before that, blondie was about eight days ago, while shortie here is at least ten days dead."

"What? How didn't we find them before?" Owen shrugged, not looking happy about this new discovery "Do we have any idea who they are?" Jack asked, puzzling over what the doctor just told him.

"Actually, 'shortie' as Owen called him is Harris Tout, he was thirty-four and living on the streets," Tosh spoke up from her seat. "No family on any records I could find."

"And the other?"

"Bethan Huggins, was a local librarian in her early 40s, who lives with her mother as her full-time carer, she suffers from dementia."

"So nothing really helpful." Tosh shook her head, pushing her glasses on top of her head. They knew all they could about each victim but it didn't point them in any direction. They were stumped and Tosh wasn't sure if they could solve this one. Then Jack spoke up again. "Tosh…have we checked any CCTV near each of the crime scenes?"

Toshiko thought for a moment, turning towards her monitors. She dropped her glasses back down to her nose.

"Not all of them have CCTV but I can check those that do again." She caught Jack's nod at the corner of her eye, rifling through the files she soon compiled. Each piece of footage was grainy even in the light of day, simple and cheap security systems. The bright screens shining down on the Japanese woman's face as her eyes flicked side to side, up and down, top right to bottom left. Her index finger clicking at her mouse, the tape rolled back. She then brightened up each frame, leaning a little closer, mouth moving but not speaking. Tosh could feel Jack at her side, he'd leaned in to.

"Nothing from Eryn's apartment block system, the Chapmans didn't have any. " Tosh declared after watching through a day and nights worth of film, the Captain still hovering beside her shoulder. She then loaded up the footage from where they found Tout. It was caught by the backdoor camera for a pizza place. They could see in the top corner as Tout convulsed and writhed as he overdosed on a concoction of drugs. Tosh's heart went out to the poor guy.

"Hold on- what was that?" Jack suddenly got in her way, large shoulders forcing her back as he pointed at something on the screen. Tosh frowned, pushing Jack out of the way. She rewound the video, slowing it down so both could see exactly what Jack was referring to. "There!"

Toshiko squinted her eyes, huffing just a tad bit closer. She'd paused the recording, Jack's finger pointed at something dark. It wasn't so easy to see, hidden in the shadows but there was something there. She tapped at a couple of keys and the monitor zoomed in, replaying the video but only focusing on one small area. Something moved in the dark, no. More than one thing. Tosh could four, no five...seven! At least seven shapes wriggling around on the floor.

If only they could see what they really were but the camera's angle was off and there wasn't enough light to see anything. Just a silhouette. To Tosh, it looked almost like a fat worm or maggot. Which started to grow at a fast rate. It expanded until it reached the diameter of a tree branch before slinking off further into the shadows until it was gone.

* * *

"Some Civil Servant you are Ianto."

Ianto sighed and looked towards his sister. They were both plonked down on a wooden bench under the rare Cardiff sun. A few Tupperware boxes between them containing goodies, drinks, and a sandwich or two.

"You say that every time, Rhi."

"I'm not wrong though." Ianto rolled his eyes at her and she laughed softly, looking over at her children running about near the swings and seesaw. "I won't ask about how you did it."

"Good." A brief moment of silence fell over them before Rhianon spoke up again.

"Did it happen with that Jack of yours?"

"Rhi-" Ianto's sister raised an eyebrow at him, expecting a proper answer. "No, it wasn't in fact, it was Gwen." And with a curt smirk, she left it at that, going back to munching on a digestive from the bag. Ianto let out a breath, he loved his sister but she was just like their mam with the looks and knowing so much from the little Ianto says.

Mica's excited squeals broke out and made their way across the park to the two adults, David's muffled voice followed with laughter. They could be seen racing after each other, playing tag or some other game they enjoyed. Ianto smiles softly, taking a bite from one of the sandwiches, finishing it off.

Time ticked by too quickly and it soon got close to dinner time, the children finally were worn out. Ianto walked alongside Mica, his much larger hand carefully clasping her tinier one while David and Rhiannon walked just a little further ahead. Ianto's niece was talking so enthusiastically to him, pointing out the little things they walked past. Her spare hand shot out, index finger indicating to a flock of geese nearby.

"Uncle Ianto look!" She said, practically jumping up and down as she walked.

"What is it my little Draig?"

"Geese! Loads of them! Woah- that flower! Look, it's purple, Uncle Ianto." Ianto managed to follow along with her little finger as her attention changed rapidly. He spotted the geese she spoke of and then the flower. He was then being tugged toward it, little legs working desperately to get to it in a matter of seconds.

Mica's hand slipped from his and she suddenly lost her balance, her small figure falling forward onto the gravel. Thankfully her hands shot out to catch herself. Ianto felt himself panic though, getting to her side swiftly and helping her up. He gently smoothed her hair down and held her closer, kneeling.

"Are you okay, Mica? Did you hurt yourself?" She nodded her small head, holding her hands out to him. They were grazed and bleeding just a tad. Ianto searched around for a tissue, pulling a slightly crumbled one from his pocket and dabbing it on the minor injuries. Mica only let out small noises as he worked, not crying but clearly hurting. Once her palms her cleaned, Inaot gently kissed the tips of her fingers. "Good as new!"

She put on a brave smile and nodded. Ianto gave her a quick once over, finding no more injuries and only a small tear in her tights. Mica then held her arms up, wanting to be picked up. He obliged even if it tugged a little on his injuries. He didn't want to worry the little one so he held back on a groan.

"Flower?" She asked but didn't really ask. Ianto understood her though, moving to the plant shed been racing over to, to begin with. It looked out of place, like a tropical fish amongst a bunch of cod. Ianto then leant down, letting Mica look close at it. "It's pretty."

"Yes it is but we should be going before David gets the front seat."

As they left, neither noticed as the oddly placed flower began to shrivel up and fall apart.


	8. Saturday 23rd 2008

_**smut warning**_

* * *

"Miss you"

Ianto smirked just a little as he felt the weight of Jack on top of him, the older man crawling over his body to bury his face in his neck. Ianto was stretched out on his sofa, spending the day just resting even if he felt a little restless at being unable to help. For the past hour or so he'd be 0absentmindedly watching a rerun of nature documentary on the TV. He'd be so engrossed in staring at the screen he hadn't heard the key in the lock or the door shut behind Jack.

"You see me almost every even, Jack."

"Miss you at the Hub."

"You miss my coffee and suits." Ianto corrected him quietly and he felt Jack's head shake then nod against his shoulder. Lips pressed themselves to the pale skin of his neck and Ianto let out a soft sigh, relaxing under the weight which could crush him.

"Both."

The two men stayed like that for a while, Ianto slowly turning his attention back to the wise voice of Sir David Attenborough. His hand drew light and irregular shapes against Jack's dark waistcoat in a way he knew relaxed the man. His breath caused his hair to flutter just slightly. Jack nestled closer, arms sliding their way underneath Ianto's body and into a comfortable spot.

Soon, Ianto found himself getting lost in hearing about emperor penguins and watching the animals battle the harsh cold in their icy habitat. It made him shiver.

"We should do that."

"What? Spend months finding food while the other looks after our egg?" Ianto asked. Jack looks up at him from his spot, unimpressed clearly.

"No, although babies- but no, we could huddle together as penguins do."

"Sounds lovely, cariad." With that, Jack settled back down, just holding his Welsh man and nuzzling or kissing at any spot he could reach without moving too far or stretching too hard. Ianto marvelled as the scene turned from pale glacier and deadly winters to a colourful, vibrant rainforest filled with just colourful and vibrant birds jumping about - dancing as Sir Attenborough explained - to win over a female. "You didn't do that for me."

Jack rolled his head to the side, hair tickling at Ianto's chin as he did. His eyes focused on the bright screen opposite them and he let out a small laugh.

"Maybe I should, but I've already won you."

"Mmm, maybe you have." Jack raised an eyebrow at Ianto, who did nothing but smirk back. He then shuffled just adequate to be able to kiss his younger lover without causing an awful crick in his neck. Ianto hummed into it, pink tongue darting out and licking at Jack's lips. He happily opened his mouth for it, his own tongue coming into play. Ianto's hand slide down form Jack's back and instead took a firm grasp of the Captain's arse, giving it a playful and suggestive squeeze.

Soon they found themselves breathless, foreheads together, and trousers uncomfortably tight. Ianto surged up for one last kiss before Jack slid his way down to rest on his thighs. His lover had Ianto's belt loosened and jeans thrown off within seconds. Next, he worked on planning his lover's cock through the fabric of his boxers as he nipped the somewhat squishy skin of Ianto's hip. Ianto let out a low moan, hips twitching slightly. They hadn't done anything like this since he'd got hurt and Ianto had really missed it. "Fuck, Jack…"

"Is this okay? Don't want to jostle your arm." Jack asked sincerely, eyes glancing up at the archivist while his hands still worked. One slipping into his boxers and taking hold of his member - Ianto couldn't help the blue streak of curses he let out - while the other smoothed over his shirt, pushing it up and exposing his midriff and tummy. Ianto appreciated his concerns, resting his hand on top of Jack's closer one and squeezing it gently.

"I'll be fine Jack." The Captain smiled, threading their fingers together after kissing just under his belly button. "Now, hurry up, I've gone too long without."

"As you wish, Mr Jones." He quipped before dipping back down and yanking Ianto's underwear down with his teeth. His half-hard dick strung free, Jack's fingers still wrapped around it. He casually stroked it to full erection and licked a stripe up the base of it. Ianto's hand shot out and clung to the back of his chair. Jack, with is quick glance up at his lover, lapped at the tip. He was teasingly slow and purposely let Ianto buck upwards when it grew too much for the younger man.

With a smirk, Jack took the head of his cock in his hot mouth, breathing around it and easily sucking. Ianto moans, head falling back against the armrest.

"Sh-Shit-" Jack hummed before he plunged his head downwards and took the whole length of Ianto in one go. His tongue pressed against the base while the tip slid down Jack's throat. He hardly gagged. Ianto panted slightly, loving every second of it.

Jack's head began to move, bobbing up and down at a gradual pace. Ianto's nails dug into the leather of the sofa, scratching harshly at the material. He couldn't care less about the marks he probably left, his focus was all on Jack and what his extremely talented mouth was currently doing. His lover then swallowed around him, the muscles of his throat tightening around Ianto's cock and sending more surges of pleasure through him.

As Jack worked his magic with his lover's prick, Ianto arched his back just slightly, still clawing at the sofa in desperation. He could feel himself coming undone, reaching the end swiftly. He wouldn't last long, he told Jack that but the Captain just winked up at him and continued on. Ianto helped back from crying out in ecstasy.

Then his balls constricted, his dick twitched in Jack's mouth and brushed against his teeth as Ianto came.

The stars cleared from his vision once Jack has pulled off him. He brought his hand back to his chest, fingertips white from how tightly he had held on. Next, he watched as Jack rose from his spot, unprepared for the man to suddenly scoop him up and hold him close. Ianto vaguely remembered this happening before.

But he was tired, so Ianto didn't fight it. Nor did he object as Jack stripped him and curled up with him in bed. With warm arms around him and his lover at his side, Ianto fell into sleep quickly.

* * *

Jack loved the mornings. He loved listening to the birds twitter, watching the sun come up, and seeing everything start to come alive again. He'd seen so many mornings on so many planets but nothing could beat the one he'd experienced in the last year or so. He adored lying beside Ianto, waiting patiently for him to wake up and stare at him with those adorable blue eyes still foggy from sleep. He loved to kiss the button nose as Ianto snuggled closer or attack his chubby tummy as Ianto stretched. He just loved mornings, especially when they were with Ianto.

Currently, Jack waiting for him. He was usually the first one up or sometimes he wouldn't sleep, just observing Ianto. Some might find that a little creepy but Jack gave himself a pass, Ianto was such a sight for sore eyes even if his snoring could keep the neighbourhood awake. A slight hitch in his breathing and his body suddenly turning towards his pillow indicated he was awake or in the process of waking up.

He knew Ianto wasn't much of a morning person, so he let nature take its course instead of forcing him conscious himself. Jack was smart, he knew not to wake a sleeping dragon no matter how gorgeous they were, they had one hell of a left hook. Grinning to himself with a chuffed laugh, Jack thought back to Ianto punching him.

"What're you laughing at?" Asked a deep, sleepy Welsh accent and Jack looked down. He smiled a little wider, shuffling so he was just that little closer to Ianto who's eyes flicked open just briefly before shutting again.

"Just you and that one hell of a swing you have."

"Mmm"

Ianto rolled over towards him, pressing his bare back firmly against Jack's chest, who wrapped his arms around him. He pressed a few soft butterfly kisses to the back of Ianto's ear, trailing them down to the nape of his neck making the younger man shiver despite the perfect warm he was encased in. Jack then brushed his nose against the soft skin of his neck, stopping when he reached the invasive and large plaster and bandages that covered the nasty bite in his lover's flesh. His arm held a similar dressing but was no longer in the sling. Ianto hated sleeping with it  
on.

"I can change that for you."

"Huh?" Ianto turned his head to look at Jack, already heading back to sleep before he'd spoken up. Jack indicated to his shoulder with a nod of his head.

"I can change your dressings."

"M'kay then."

And within a few minutes, Jack had Ianto sat up, crossed legged in front of him. He was carefully peeling off the off-white material wrapping his injuries up, a new set on the bed beside him waiting to be used. Jack squeezed Ianto's hip before cleaning the area around the wound. It was nasty but Jack knew it was healing fine, he could tell if it was infected and thankfully it wasn't. The stitching looked fine, no tearings, and there was no puss or foul smell. Ianto let out a hiss or two when Jack pressed a little too hard. He apologised quick, getting to covering the wounds back up.

Once his shoulder was redressed, he let Inaot turn, taking his wrist in his hands. He unwound the bandages and inspected the punctures in the skin. He thought it could probably go without being covered any longer but he'd have to ask Owen for a medical opinion and Jack didn't fancy being murdered by him if he was wrong.

"Don't, my dear."

"How's the case?" Was the first thing Ianto asked once they'd got dressed and Jack had made breakfast. Bacon sandwiches, his speciality. He set the plate before Ianto before even attempting to answer the question.

"It's...uh it's getting there, kinda?"

"Oh?" Jack nodded, watching Ianto take a bite of the sandwich, licking away the ketchup that squeezed out and landed at the corner of his mouth. He shouldn't, but Jack thinks he just found a new thing he liked watching Ianto do, but he kept tight-lipped about it.

"We still haven't made any headway on figuring out how these people were infected with this alien, however, Tosh and Owen still looking into the possible species it could be. The footage wasn't great but we sort of know what it is." Jack explained, stopping for a moment to lean forward and lick away some more ketchup that dripped on Ianto's chin. He smirked as Ianto scowled at him. "Anyway, Gwen has been interviewing anyone connected with the victims, trying to find out what connects them, where they'd been over the past couple of months, the usual. She should be getting back to me when I go in today."

"I still wish-" The Welshman started but Jack cut him off.

"Ianto, you have one more day off, although I still wish you'd take more time to heal, and then you're back. Stop being impatient."

"Yeah but I'm still going to be on light duties, Jack. I might as well come in now."

"I don't want to see you in the hub until Monday and not the usual time, do you understand?"

* * *

Tosh felt proud of herself. She's successfully hacked UNIT's system without raising a single alarm or alerting anyone. So yeah, she was proud if not a little smug. It had taken her all that long either. She'd advise them to get a much better system if only to give herself a little more of a challenge next time, but Tosh felt that was a little too far. She was smug but not cocky.

Jack was the cocky one of the team and in many more ways than she'd necessarily like to think about.

Right now, Tosh filtered through their system, bypassing encryption and sailing the firewalls.

"Really guys, it's like hacking eBay." She said to herself, grin on her lips. She could get into every file they had on their network and they wouldn't have a clue. And she wasn't even doing it with malicious intent despite her hateful feelings towards the institute. She was stealing these files purely for professional use only and she had permission from Jack to do it.

It wasn't her fault if they lost a little data on the way.

As the hours passed and her teammates came and went around the Hub, Tosh continued to shift through the copious amounts of files she had on her screen. She'd set up specific searches for a worm-like creature or something that includes organ digestion. A few documents came up but neither seemed to fit what they had found.

It wasn't until she added a third criteria did she get a hit. Tosh had been chewing in a doughnut given to her by a passing Gwen to help refuel, did she think of it. She didn't know initially how worms were born but after a quick search, she found they came from cocoons. So, with her smart brain and newfound knowledge, Tosh has set out another query.

"Jack-" She called, only the man wasn't in his office. So Tosh rose from her seat and peaked her head down into the medical bay. "Owen? Have you seen Jack?"

"He's with Gwen, they're talking about what she's found in the boardroom." The dead doctor spoke without much more than a quick look and a tiny smile. He then got back to his work as Tosh shot him a thank you.

Instead of actually going to find Jack, Tosh picked up her PDA and sent the Captain a message through to his wrist strap. It didn't take long for her to hear him stomping along on the concrete, lengthy strides taking him much quicker than Gwen, who Tosh could also hear following along.

"You got into UNIT's system then?" Jack asked, looking just as gleeful as she had been once she accomplished it. Tosh nodded, feeling just a little sheepish as Jack gave her forehead a peck, praising her and her brilliance.

"They have a whole file on our alien or at least something similar to it. I can't be sure it's the exact same." Jack nodded, fully understanding that they couldn't just use this one like theirs, the team hadn't collected enough evidence to support it. Only a crappy video and a quadruple of corpses. Jack then moved closer to the monitors, hand resting on the back of Tosh's chair as he read through the walls of text.

"So they call it a Climber? And it showed up around three years prior. They did some tests and studies with it." Tosh nodded, having read it just before, and now took over saying it aloud for the team. She noticed Owen had joined them.

"The alien starts off as a microscopic cocoon which is let free from the mother plant. This latches onto the victim's skin and finds a way into the bloodstream."

"A cut or puncture is preferred but it can get through with breathing or digestion." Jack cut in, eyes darting back and forth as he looked through it. "Irritation had been known to come about, usually leaving a rash, it is unsure why…Owen? Have you spotted any sort of rash on our patients?"

Without an answer, Owen ducked down into the medical bay again. They heard him moving about as he hastily looked for a rash on the body of Harris.

"Jack, our homeless guy has one. But that could just be something he picked up from the streets. I'll have to check the rest."

"Get on it quick then Owen."

Tosh, ignoring as Owen got about working, carried on where Jack stopped. Her eyes began to feel heavy, she had been working on this a while but Tosh wasn't about to quit now that they might be getting somewhere.

"Once it is in the bloodstream, it hatched and released a number of larvae which travel separately to the brain and other organs," Tosh took a moment to scroll down with her mouse. "Not much is known how the plant produces these cocoons or larvae as test have not yet occurred."

"Once each larva has found a place in an orgin, they begin to consume said organ and mould themselves to replace the parts they have eaten. With enough energy, they create another if themselves to infect the next target organ. There is no pattern to this as of yet known. This continues until each organ is replaced and then some unknown chemical or signal triggers the one in the brain to start its same task."

Jack shuffled at her shoulder, eyes still glued to her monitor. He didn't seem very happy but neither was she, even if they might have some sort of breakthrough. These aliens didn't sound pleasant at all.

"Somehow the subjects survived until the creatures decide it is time to leave their host. The subjects seen in test #0628AI8 and #017GIQ9 were giving reports if hearing voices while the scientists on these investigations could not. After a day or two, all 15 subjects were driven to madness and killed themselves."

"They didn't stop them?" Jack asked, his voice at a growl. His hand now clung to Tosh's chair with white knuckles.

"No…no cases received attempts at being saved. They all died! And they just let it happen, Jack!" Geen exclaimed, hurried as everyone else was with UNIT's lack of humanity.

"What happened after death, Tosh?"

"The bodies shrunk away and the Climber's left their host. They appeared to be of the physical appearance of a giant worm. With all out of the body, they came together and melted into one another, growing in size."

That linked to what they saw in the CCTV but still, Tosh didn't let her hopes rise to too much. It could just be a very similar species.

"It is believed these larger worms tried to merge with the other larger ones, possibly to create bigger versions and then finally their final form. But it is uncertain as each one was exterminated before occurrence."


	9. Wednesday 27th, 2008 PT1

Ioan Ruiz scratched at his neck furiously, getting out a soft growl as the pleasureful feeling spread through his body. He then dropped his hand, sighing and glaring at the appendage. He knew he wasn't supposed to be itching it, it just makes the rash worse as his mam always told him, but the relief was just so nice. He couldn't stop himself. But he wasn't all that dumb, he'd arrived at the doctors at today's early afternoon, wanting a professional to get a look and see if he could get any soothing cream or something to actually get rid of the pesky thing. Ioan didn't even know when he'd got it only one night he woke up with the burning sensation on his neck. He had no clue what caused it either, he wasn't allergic to anything that could give him a rash. But his stomach did ache a bit, so maybe he was? No, Ioan put it down to missing lunch, he could grab a box of chips later as a reward for surviving the doctors.

So he was now sat in a waiting chair, doing nothing more than flicking through an out fo date magazine that detail thing bout certain celebrities he didn't really give a damn about. But it was better than staring off at nothing. Even the music that quietly filtered into the room was boring and uninspiring, something cheesy and he couldn't name it. He wasn't alone in the room, a few other people were waiting for whatever ailments they might have. An old guy sat with a cane, rubbing his wrists with the opposite hand over and over again. Ioan assumed he had some sort of bone problem but he likes to think it was something more interesting, maybe he was a mutant that kept having his hands drop-off and new ones regrow which is why they possibly ache or arthritis.

A child sat with his mam, he had a snotty nose and looked positively glum. Ioan had moved away a little bit, he wasn't too keen on getting whatever disease the child possessed. Ioan told himself it was something from outer space that made your nose drip excessively and constantly sneezing and coughing. But then he realised that was just the common cold. Maybe an alien common cold? Believably still just as annoying and inconvenient He'd seen a lady leave, presumably in her teens and Ioan's eyes had flicked to the Teen Pregnancy poster that was stuck to the corkboard on the wall littered with many other healthcare posters and leaflets. Smoking, cancer, vaccinations, the usual.

"Ioan Ruiz?" Called a voice from across the room, Ioan flicked his head up and found a doctor dressed in a lab coat looking around the room. He raised his arm somewhat and rose from his seat, it attracted the man's gaze and the doctor offered a polite but small smile. The doctor gestured him to follow and Ioan did just that, following the man through a set of doors and down a corridor, into a room.

It smelt like any GP place did, clean as hell and nothing less. The room was bright, a white light shining down on him. The walls were a duck egg blue and a desk sat against the wall while a bed, covered by a long strip of paper towel and a curtain hanging at its foot, was opposite it. He spotted a cupboard Ioan could only guess heled everything a doctor could need. There were a few more life advice posters, a height chart and a skeleton in the corner. It was surprisingly friendly the room and Ioan felt himself relax.

The doctor, who shook his hand and introduce himself as Doctor Jeffers, sat in his spiny chair and slapped his fingers against his keyboard and clicked with his plastic mouse before actually addressing Ioan. Ioan sat in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk, hands on his knees which had splayed out to the sides. He was suddenly nervous and he didn't know why.

"Mr Ruiz, what seems to be the problem?" Ioan cleared his throat and shuffled in his chair before he answered.

"So- uh...I have this rash, right on my neck about here," He gestured to the place, hand awaking around a little too wildly. The Doctor's eyes flicked towards his neck but he did nothing. "I don't actually know when I got it, or how I did, but it's been really bugging me."

"May I look?" Ioan nodded and the doctor pulled out some disposable gloves, fitting them on his hands with a satisfyingly flick as he let go. Dr Jeffers then stood beside him and gently cupped the back of Ioan's head and manoeuvred it about while looking at the rash. He didn't say anything other than a few mouth noises like "mmm" or "mphf" and Ioan slowly felt more awkward. His neck began to ache and he couldn't look anywhere other than his feet or the floor, and Dr Jeffers was still poking around at his neck.

It seemed like forever until he was let go and the good doctor moved back to his seat, throwing away his gloves in the process. He typed away at his keyboard again, eyes scanning some document Ioan couldn't see as he addressed him. "It doesn't look to be too bad, Mr Ruiz which is a good thing and we can definitely treat it with some cream, I'll just print your prescription and if you take ti to the desk in the main area, they can give you a tube or two.."

Soon enough the green paper filled with boxes and information Ioan didn't necessarily understand was printed out and signed by his doctor. He was then led out with a polite validation and another handshake before the door shut and Ioan moved around to the desk he was told about. A pretty lady took his paper and he was deciding whether he should flirt with her or just straight out ask for her number when an arm grabbed him and he was tugged from the doctors without collecting his cream.

* * *

Owen Harper - sorry, Doctor Owen Harper - didn't often kidnap people from the general public out of their local GPs, not did he really ever kidnap them in general, but working for Torchwood occasionally required that from time to time. It was usually left to Ianto, strangely being the very good at it and very thorough. Owen tried not to judge because at least it meant he had one less job to do around the hub and could continue to stick in hands in alien guts and grow strange but exciting plants in the hothouse. Only their tea boy was currently stuck on light duties and healing from being mauled by a weevil in a back alleyway, so the duties had fallen to Owen for now. He wasn't entirely happy but the body back in his autopsy bay could wait for a bit.

He'd, unfortunately, had to be the one to haul Ioan Ruiz into the hub on his own because the good old Captain Jack wasn't at the hub and the women were busy doing their own thing. However, coincidentally, all three showed up once he'd gotten their new visitor comfortable but Owen didn't question it. He just grumbled to himself and dropped Ruiz on his metal slab, which had been hastily cleared of the half-open corpse from earlier. The man's struggling hadn't help and the protesting was of no uses as Owen had heard all and worse before from much less young and not always human entities. Instead, he'd tried to be civil, explain to Mr Ruiz exactly what was going on without trying to sound too sarcastic or ominous. Owen didn't know how Ianto did it half the time and he wasn't about to go praising the kid to find out.

With Ruiz sat uncomfortably on his autopsy table, bag removed from his head which had caused his hair to stick up and eyes to squeeze shut at the too-bright lights. Owen shot him a half-smile, whisking around as he reached for needles or other medical instruments that he requires. Ruiz has watched him with a weary, wide eye, almost too scared to utter a single word. His pulse was elevated and his breathing a little too quick but Owen took that more as a reaction to being kidnapped after a trip to his doctor's rather than whatever alien they were trying to hunt down.

"Mr Ioan Ruiz!" Jack announced all too cheerfully from the railing that circled the little room. He sounded all too over the top and had a grin on his face but Owen knew he meant business and he was here to talk not about something old friends talked about but something rather important. Only Ioan Ruiz wouldn't really have any idea what it was so this could be proved to be a little tougher but Torchwood tended to be tougher than normal so maybe it was normal for them. "Mr Ruiz, hi. I'm Captain Jack Harkness and I hope our Doctor here has made you feel comfortable."

Jack's friendly approach didn't seem to work to Owen's total surprise. You could just see the shock on his emotionless face as Ruiz got himself worked up, head-spinning around the room and taking everything in before flicking between Owen and Jack. He was freaked out, to say the least.

"Who are you people...what do you want?!" The man asked in his panic. Jack straightened up from where he leant against the metal railing, looking down at Ioan with a steady gaze but nothing too intimidating.

"We are just people who want a little information, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Are you going to cut me open? Interrogate me!?" he accused a little too overly dramatic for Owen's taste. His heart rate has risen dramatically and Owen briefly wondered if the man was going to give himself a heart attack. He watched as the heart monitor sped up, the lines moving faster than before, the numbers rising as Ruiz's stress levels increased. Owen realised he might have to sedate the bloke if he got anymore distressed. "Is that why I'm here?! You're some kind of sick doctor who uses their training for torture!?"

"Mr Ruiz-" Owen started, taking over to hopefully calm down his new patient. He didn't want him getting too overwhelmed and entering cardiac arrest. Owen was ready for it of course but it did put minor inconvenience in their plans and if the guy died then they would be stuffed. Owen held a needle in his hand, somehow not realising that perhaps he didn't seem any more friendlier than Jack as he grasped the sharp object in his hand which could be filled with anything as far as Ioan knew.

"Don't come near me- I won't let you. I-I don't want your drugs or- or your- " Ruiz got up from his seat, trying to move away from both of them and find a way out of the autopsy bay not realising there would be nowhere for him to go once he had climbed the stairs. Owen looked down at his hand, frowning and placing down the needle. He then held his hands up in a gesture to hopefully show Ioan Ruiz that he wasn't actually a threat and he was here to help or at least not kill him or inject him with any drugs that would be considered harmful. Jack had moved closer, coat still on and swishing around his feet. He too hands his hands up, not looking too impressed at having to settle the man rather than have him immediately obey.

Only the man decided he was going to take a defensive stance and grasp one of Owen's scalpels that lay about. He really should put them away but he hadn't the effort and how was he to know someone might use it against him when they felt an examination was too much to handle. He might bleed or feel pain but constantly stitching himself up was becoming a bore.

"Ioan Ruiz! Will you stop! We are not going to hurt you, in fact, we're going to try to heal you, yeah? Doctor Harper here is going to give you a full examination and you are going to tell him all about your current ailment you went to your GP about, good?" Ioan looked hesitant an unsure but nodded anyway, lowering the scalpel when Jack gestured to him. Jack the smiles, leading the man back to his spot in the cold metal slab. "Good. Once it is done, hopefully, we will be able to find a cure and help save you and anyone else"

"But….But what do I have?"

"You tell me Ioan." He looked lost, watching Owen and trying to figure out how to answer him. Owen rolled his eyes and but told himself the man was spooked and unsettled so he wasn't thinking straight and had possibly forgotten what he'd been doing or thinking before any of this happened. He also probably didn't take in all that Jack said to him in his moment of panic. "Why did you go see your doctor?"

"Huh? Oh yeah…yeah, I went for them to take a look at this rash, see?." Near the ringed collar if his t-shirt sat a patch of pink which Owen knew could have been a rash far before he'd been told. At least two of the other bodies he now had had the same identically sized and coloured patch. Before he actually had a poke around at it, Owen pulled on some disposable gloves, not wanting to cause the man to shiver and keeping up the appearance of a normal doctor. "Dr Jeffers said it was harmless. Why would I trust you, a doctor who just kidnapped me?"

"Because your doctor doesn't know what I do." Even with Ioan's apprehension, he didn't stop as Owen started his exam. He took his temperature, checked his breathing and stuck him with needles. Then he tested some muscles and had a look at his eyes. Next, Owen picked up the Bekaren scanner, weighing the device in his palm before he moved it over ever part of Ruiz's skin.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This will sound crazy but aliens caused your rash." With that out in the open, Ioan snorted. His body moved with the action, making Owen scowl as his precision was shot and readings had to be redone.

"Aliens?" Ioan asked with amusement in his voice. If Owen was looking at his face - he was currently scanning the guy's back - he would have seen a heavy smirk on his lips.

"Yes," Owen answered curtly, carrying on him with his duties. The seriousness in his voice must have got through to him as Ioan repeated himself and looked at Owen with wide eyes, asking if he was having him on. "I can show you one after if you like, not one that caused this rash but another species."

Ioan nodded silently, looking a little sceptical still but let Owen get on with his work. He knew the information would be sent to Owen's computer which projected onto the wall behind him. He'd have a scan through them in a minute. "Anything else, Mr Ruiz?"

"No..wait- now that you mention it, I had some pain in my kidneys before. I thought maybe it was stones but it stopped and as I was waiting for my stomach seemed to ache."

"Like you were feeling sick? Nervous?" Ruiz shook his head, looking at Owen who raised an eyebrow, indicating for the man to continue.

"It was like it was physically hurting, the whole organ or whatever."

"I see…"

"Can you really help me?"

"As of yet, we don't have a cure but I'm hoping, with your cooperation we can find one with a few tests or two."

"Sounds fun…"

Owen nodded grimly, mouth set straight as he patted the man on the shoulder. His eyes then drew over to the results of the scan. On the wall was the image of Ioan's body and insides, each part lit up by different colours to suggest their density and showing Owen which parts were muscle, bone, tissue, or other. Owen flicked a couple of buttons on his PDA and the images changed, moving through the different layers until he reached the organs.

The dead doctor stepped back, face pulled into a puzzled expression. Ioan must have noticed as he asked what was wrong, only Owen ignored him, eyes glued to the pictures.

The usual mismatch of colours indicating the different organs was gone. Instead, each one was a solid black.


	10. Wednesday 27th, 2008 PT2

**Gore warning**

* * *

"So, what does this mean, Owen?"

Jack had called a council of war, bringing them all up to speed. They all sat around the table while Ioan had been left to get comfortable on the tatty sofa under the Torchwood name. Jack had a streaming mug of coffee before him, half drunk with his hands soaking up the warmth through the ceramics. Everyone else sat in their usual seats, Tosh with her laptop in front of her and Owen holding the screen remote in his unfeeling grasp. Gwen was staring up at the images in the wall, lost and confused. Ianto, in a usual pressed suit, set diagonally to Jack, quietly listening in and thinking it all through.

"His organs have changed. They're no longer a collection of human tissue but something of a larger density. So dense they're black on the scans."

"They've been replaced?"

"It certainly seems like it."

"So it's this Climber thing then?" Gwen asked, voicing the point that was on everyone's minds. Owen nodded with a grim expression. At least they knew what they were dealing with but they had no idea on how to cure this things or how many people were infected.

"Okay, Gwen and Owen you head to Ioan's place, see if you can find anything that might have infected him. Tosh, keep up the search for similar people seeing the doctor and also find anything else you can find." He then turned to the silent Welshman at his side. "Ianto, could you talk to our guest, find out where he has been and what he had done the last few weeks." Ianto nodded.

"And what will you be doing, Jack?" Owen asked, pushing his chair back with a painful screech along the floor. Jack looked to him and smirked.

"I'm going out." Owen rolled his eyes and would have huffed out a breath if he breathed. He didn't know why he bothered to ask anymore. With them all gone, Tosh muttering to herself as she stared down at her laptop and Owen and Gwen talking about something or other. Jack rose and gently grabbed Ianto who had tried to hold four empty coffee mugs and a plate of biscuits in one hand. He couldn't doubt his lover was skillful and resourceful but even that seemed a little too much for the injured man. Ianto looked to him, eyes searching but didn't pull from his grip. "Let me help."

Ianto let out a small breath from his nose and pushed the small plate towards him with two of the mugs. Ianto picked up the remaining ones, watching Jack as they carried them to the little kitchenette as though he couldn't trust the Captain to do such a simple task. Jack caught his eye with smile of sorts and Ianto rolled his eyes. "What?" Jack asked as Ianto silently accused him of something.

"Nothing." He answered with a little curl of his lips. Jack narrowed his eyes but didn't question it, setting the used ceramics in the dishwasher under Ianto's tentative eye. Like he, Captain Jack Harkness, master conman and god in the bed, could slip up at four mugs and a plate, now free of any biscuits, into a machine. Two mugs lightly clinked together and Jack saw Ianto wince. "Careful."

"I know. I can be domestic, ya'know."

"Jack Harkness, domestic? I'd like to see that."

"Maybe you will." Jack shot back as he straightened back up, grunting softly as his knees clicked. Ianto had a soft but slightly sad smile on his face.

"I won't hold my breath." Jack then left a light kiss on his forehead, hand drawing up to feel for his lover's pulse. It drummed smoothly under his fingers. Satisfied with what he felt, his hand dropped to lightly squeeze Ianto's limp fingers. They looked at each other, neither speaking but having a conversation only they could understand. Ianto then gave him a peck on the lips as a silent way of telling him they'll continue this later. "Do you think our guest will want some coffee?"

"If it's yours? Definitely." Jack gave his hip a squeeze and watched as he made Ruiz a brew, managing fine with just the one hand. Owen was due to remove the confining sling later today and Jack couldn't wait.

"Do you need me to do anything else sir, before you leave?" Jack caught his eye, his own probably glinting with mischief as he thought of the oh so many thing Ianto could do but none of them at all appropriate for the working environment. By Ianto's professional and unfazed expression he knew it too. "I take that's a no, sir?"

"Mmm, unfortunately." Jack purred right by his ear, giving the shell a soft kiss and resisting the urge to bite it. Ianto hardly reacted to it, pickinging up the steaming coffee and carefully pushing out of Jack's enclosing embrace. His hand slipped along Ianto's lower back, finger brushing the smooth fabric of his suit jacket and letting him go. "I'll see you later then."

"Behave while you're out."

"You behave with our guest!" Jack called back, watching the man disappear down into the medical ward they seemed to hardly use but it came in handy when needed. Ioan Ruiz was spending his time down there for now and hopefully Ianto will find something out from him. Jack, with a smile on his lip and thinking about his Welshman, left the hub in his coat to go work some business.

* * *

Ianto set the mug of coffee down on the bedside cabinet, tendrils of steam curling up and dispersing over and over again. It was captivating and Ianto drew his attention from it and looked to their patient. He was awake, caught in a book they had provided for him to keep himself entertained.

"Mr Ruiz?" Ianto said, not wanting to make him jump. He looked up from his page, sitting up slightly and shoving a tissue in the book acting as a bookmark. "D'you like coffee? I brought you one."

"Am I allowed it?"

"I'm sure you are."

"Thank you…er."

"Jones. Ianto Jones." He smiled friendly as the man. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay…rash still itching like hell and sometimes my head feels like it's being eaten." Ruiz confessed, hands coming up to cup the mug in them and hold it close. He took in a breath, the delightful aroma clearly agreeing with him as his eyes shut to savour it.

"I can probably get you some pills." Ianto suggested, he'll have to ask Owen of course but he wants their guest to be as comfortable possible

"Thanks mate. It all feels a bit crazy this, to be honest." That made Ianto huff in amusement.

"You don't know the half of it." Ianto let him take a sip of the coffee, moaning quietly as the taste hit him and the warmth spread through Ioan's body. Ianto smiled to himself, taking it with pride that his coffee-making abilities had that kind of effect on people.

"What happened to you then?" Ioan queried, eyeing up the sling Ianto's arm was wrapped in. He couldn't see the bandaged under the suit but Ianto could feel them there as well as around his forearm.

"This?" Ianto raised an eyebrow as though it was nothing. "Just a little job hazard." Ruiz watched him for a moment but said nothing, turning back to his book as he held his mug. Ianto let him sit for a while, just continuing his story. Less than a minute ticked by before Ianto slide a file he had procured onto the cabinet where the mug had once sat. He produced a pen and pad from the inner pocket of his jacket and leant a little closer to Ruiz. "I'm here to ask you some questions, we want to see if we can narrow down the area where you go infected so I'm going to need to know where you've been and what you've done in the past week or so."

"That's okay."

"Okay, where were you around, say a month ago, if you can remember?"

"Ugh…oh yeah, I'd just been laid off by my girlfriend."

"Sorry."

"Nah, doesn't matter."

"What next?"

"Went for a walk around Bute Park for god knows how long, clearing my head. Saw this very pretty flower too. Spent a few weeks moping and just going on walks." Ianto have a small nod. "Only recently got back on my feet, I got a job with the local museum, just cleaning up after the visitors, y'know. Not done much else, bit boring really."

"Nothing? Nothing interesting at all?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Okay then…thank you." Ianto scribbled down the last of what he was told before placing the pad in his lap along with the pen. He followed up with opening the file and grabbing a bunch of images, some low quality from CCTV while others were blown up passport or ID portraits. There was at least one photo for each victim, Ianto choosing real life ones rather than anything ghost mortem so not to scare Ruiz and have him panic. "Now, do you know any of these people by any chance?"

The images were splayed out on the man's bed so he could root through them and have a good look. Ruiz was quiet as he searched, biting his lower lip as be sipped his coffee. His brow furrowed slightly, Ianto watching as his eyes flicked from left to right rapidly. Ioan then tapped his forefinger at one of the photos, lifting it up to show Ianto.

"Tout. That's Harris Tout. A bum, moved around a bit but mostly saw him near the pizza place. Although, I hadn't seen him of recent."

"Anyone else?"

"No...no sorry. Ianto." The Archivist shook his head and smiled softly, scooping up the photos and putting them neatly back inside the folder.

"That's alright Mr Ruiz. This flower you saw…what was it like?"

He picked up his notepad once again, clicking the top of the pen twice more than necessary just because he enoyed the sound. A soft, virtually inviisble smile perked up his lips. Ianto cleared his throat, straighening his tie unnecessarily and looking to Ioan, waiting for him to start to talk.

"Purple. It was this bright, vibrant purple and look a little odd to be fair. I just assumed some bird had dropped a seed or someone planted it themself." Ianto felt himself freeze up, pen stalling on the page. Ioan didn't notice, continuing on with his description. "It was large, with five points like a starfish, edges a little wavy ya'know? I swear it was foreign." Ianto kept scribbling away the words Ruiz said, giving a soft hum or affirmation here and there to tell him he was still listening.

"Did it look like this?" Ianto held up his page, a quick but quite accurate drawing of the flower he had spotted with Mica etched over the lines running across the page. Ruiz moved forward, eyes taking in every detail before flicking to him. He nodded and Ianto bit his lip. "Okay then…I'll just be back, Mr Ruiz"

The Archivist got up from his seat, no comm. on him to call up to Tosh or Jack so he'd have to make the trip himself. He'd collected up his things and Ioan's empty mug in his one hand, some stuffed under his arm when their patient spoke up.

"Could you get those pills? Headaches killing me, mate."

"Sure." Ianto said absentmindly, setting down the mug again to rearrange the files in his grasp only to forget it when he headed out. He made a detour to the medicine cabinet they had close to the room and routed through it awkwardly and finding the capsules Ruiz would need, along with a cup of fresh water. He was about to head up to Tosh to pass her the files and notes when a crash emitted from Ioan's room. Ianto spun around, eyes flicking from left to right as he listned out for anything more, anything to tell him what was going on at all. It might have just been Iaon dropping something or trying tog et up, nothing sinister, Ianto was sure but years of working for orchwood (One and Three) taught him to always beon alert, anything could be line and htye ouwldnt really know it. Ianto causiously walked back, leaving everything back in the room he just left to go see Ruiz.

"Mr. Ruiz? Are you okay?" His voice carried down the hall toward the room theirpatient was staying in. There was the ound of shuffling and movement but nobody answered him. "Mr Ruiz? Ioan?"

There was a horrible, wet crack and bone crunching underneath something hard and Ianto froze for a moment. It was so horrid that the sound alone had Ianto's stomach rolling and he had to take a second before he could face going into the room. And when he did he felt his blood run cold and heart pick up. There was a large splash of fresh blood, still glistening in the light and slowly running down where it stuck to the wall. The brick itself had a dent in it, large enough to clearly be from a head and Ianto knew what Ruiz had done without even seeing it. "Ioan Ruiz?"

A groan came from the ensuite and Ianto slowed his pace to a crawl as he moved inside, door opening with a slow swing. Curled up on the floor was the man Ianto was looking for. He was shaking heavily and his head was hidden beneath his arms. "Mr Ruiz..." Ianto crouched down, reaching out with his hand to lightly touch the man's shoulder and comfort him. He could only assume the alien was affecting him. His fingers only just brushed the fabric of his shirt when Ruiz flinched back and threw himself at Ianto with almost inhumane speed. Ianto couldn't stop his fall, losing balance in his crouched position and being send tumbling backwards, his head hit the tiled floor. Ruiz climb on top of him, pinning Ianto down and trapping his injured arm underneath. Ianto cried out, looking up at the crazed eyes of their patient, seeing three of him as the blood oozed from the broken skin of Ruiz's forehead, catching in his eye and flowing past his mouth.

"Get it out!" Ruiz hissed to Ianto, hands coming down to shake his shoulders and digging into the suit's material and unknowingly the bandage underneath. It made Ianto yelp, pain shooting through the spot. His other hand was pinned by Ioan's knee but Ianto found he could move it, proably free it if he pulled hard enough. Ianto's attention was so focused on getting his arm out, he didn't notice straight away as Ruiz's hands moved form his shoulders to his neck. "Get it out! Out!" Ruiz screamed to him, one hand clamping around Ianto's neck and amking him gasp as his hair was cut off and nails dug sharply into the delicate skin. The other hand was used to force Ianto's head upwards, palm pressed under his chin. It hurt his neck, kept his mouth shut tightly and Ianto couldn't breathe. Ruiz was strong and Ianto was one handed but that hand was still trying to wiggle out form it's pinned spot.

It was getting harder to concerntrate as his air was cut off for longer and longer, his head feeling heavier and heavier as the blood struggled to circulate properlly and he coudn't renew his lungs with a fresh load of oxygen. The nails that cut into his neck held tight and he could feel the small rivets of blood building, not much but enough for the wounds to sting. Ianto fought as best he could beneath the man, his legs kicking out but not helping. The heels of his shoes clanking agaisnt the tiles and definetly scuffing the leather. "Help me! They're in my head...please help me!"

Ianto couldn't repsond to him, his mouth shut indefinitely and his throat being squeezed. They were helping, Inaot wnated to tell him, they were really trying. But they coudln't help if Ianto died, if they killed him he was a threat and Ianto knew he'd be locked up if Gwen amnaged to stop Jack from straight out shooting the man. Ianto didn't want Ioan Ruiz to die but he coudln't help him if he was going to die too.

Finally, as his visison seemed to almsot go and his heart give out, Ianto's right arm fell free and his could use it. It took nust a small moemnt for him to relaise and collect his mind enough to bring it up and grab Ruiz's wrist. He somehow had enough strength to push the limb, forcing it away from his windpipe and giving him just the sgihtest bit of room to breathe. Ianto took in the biggest bulk of air he could, exhaling it and inhaling another. Nials sctrached at his neck as they were force from their position, lighting up Inato's skin in small flashes sof pain. They would leave marks, Ianto knew that but it didn't matter as now he could breathe. Ruiz cried out ontop of him, eyes squeezed tightly shut and he flung himself off Ianto, scurrying away towardsa corner as Ianto let the world around him catch up. He bretahed, his neck sore and throat feeling tender, his heart was racing and his body slowly regulated itself enough for him to pull himsel up. Ianto winced, his shoulder aching. His head spun as he rose, vision clouding over with static which he blinked away. He hardly noticed Ruiz, instead rushing his way out of the room, stumbling from side to side as his balance was lost.

Eventually Ianto found his way back to the main area, seeing Tosh as her desk, dilegently working away at her computer.  
"T-Tosh." His voice was hoarse and it bunred to talk. For a moment he tohught she didn't hear but Toshiko slowly moved her head to the side, eyes follwing just a brief second after, sturgling to tear themselves away from her screen. He leant against the nearest wall, head pounding more than ever. Tosh looked to him, eyes widening once she too in what she saw. His appearence of dishevelled, like he'd been fighting a weevil rather than had a quick romp with Jack in the archives. His neck was brusing, small welts of blood there as he heaved and coughed with each breath. Tosh practically leapt out of her seat and rushed to his side, her thin hand hovering over his cheek.

"Ianto? What happened?"

"Ruiz...g-gone mad. Shit-" Ianto managed to get out before his throat send him into a coguhing fit. He covered his mouth with his hand but each hack send his head spinning and he was sure someone was hitting it with a hammer constantly. Ianto struggled to catch his breath and hardly realised Tosh was leading him towards the old couch. A cold glass was pushed into his grasp when the coughing subsided a little and Ianto took a sip or two of some water. It helped sooth his killing throat and Ianto closed his eyes. Light fingers tocuhed the side of his neck and Ianto flinched away eyes opening wide.

"I'm sorry Ianto. Stay here, I'm going to call Jack."


	11. Wednesday 27th, 2008 PT3

Ianto knew Jack was back not by the loud siren of telling them the cogwheel was opening but by the cursing as the door clearly opened too slowly for him and blocked his access. Ianto smiled to himself, remembering once the door would move faster sometimes and Jack got his coat stuck in it. Thankfully it hadn't torn but watching their Captain struggle to move for a bit and forgetting he could actually take the coat off was fun. He didn't hear the footsteps come up the stairs nor did he see Jack as Ianto still sat with his eyes shut, resting.

"What's so funny to you, then?" Ianto opened his eyes and looked up at the looming shape of Jack. His hands were on his hips and the lights around them highlighted his shape, silhouetting his face slightly. Lovely, thoughtful Tosh had dimmed them for him and had brought him some painkillers for the killer headache. Somehow the sight of Jack though, made it much more better.

"Just thinking about you- " A wet cough broke Ianto's sentence, sending a spasm of pain through his neck and making it twinge. "Your coat getting caught." Closed lips pressed to his forehead and Ianto could feel the smile on his lover's lips.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked softly, first two fingers dragging along his jaw and settling on the spot where his pulse sat. Ianto flinched a little, body thinking he was going to be attacked again while his mind knew better. This was Jack, he wouldn't hurt him, not on purpose. Anyway, the touch was light and felt nice against the abused skin. Ianto nodded, leaning towards Jack and taking in a breath of the man's unique scent. It calmed him down immediately. Then the heavy weight of Jack's greatcoat settled over him and warmth radiated through his body. He smiled a little more, nestling his nose in the wool. The fingers at his neck stayed and Ianto felt them moving in circles, massaging the flesh and drawing a groan from his lips. Lips were again touching his forehead. "Where is he, Ianto?"

"Medical, last time…checked."

Jack reluctantly moved away and Ianto wanted to reach out and pull him back. Make him stay here and comfort him, make Ianto feel better and safe. Ianto wanted Jack all to himself right now, to steal him away to the tiny bunker of his and cuddle. Sleep the excitement of the day off and wake up encased in Jack's tight but loving embrace and not have to face the rest of the day. That's all he wanted but he couldn't have it, not just yet.

"Tosh? Is he still down there?"

"That's what my scans say. I had the area locked down, didn't want him sneaking up and hurting Ianto again." Tosh explained from her station. She had looked after him while they waited for Jack to come back to save the day. She had made sure Ianto was comfortable, held him take his tie off to relieve some of the pressure on his neck, let him rest in the quiet. Tosh had a much better bedside manner than Owen and Ianto wished she was their medic to most of the time.

"I'll be back up soon, Owen and Gwen should be on their way back, I want Owen to take a look at your neck Ianto, even if it is just a bit of bruising, then you have the rest of the day off."

Ianto reluctantly nodded and watched as Jack disappeared down the halls with his coat tail flowing behind him.

The doors slid open and unlocked in front of him as Jack approached them, Tosh had turned off the lockdown. She was smart thinking for initiating it and keeping the two of them safe. Jack was proud of her yet still worried for Ianto. He had been through a lot in the past weeks and he didn't want him getting hurt anymore. He could have lost him again and none of them would have known until they got back and found his body…

Jack clenched his jaw and moved his thoughts on to something else. Did he have his gun? A quick pat to his side told him he did as well as some handcuffs deep in his coat pocket. They came in handy a lot. Jack's plan of action was to go down to find Ioan Ruiz, subdue him if he wasn't going to come willingly, and hopefully refrain from shooting him on sight. Simple.

He continued down the hall until he came to the door which led him to the scene of the crime. Jack took a calming breath before reaching out for the handle. As he moved the door open, he listened out for anything. There were no sounds other than the constant humming and buzzing of the Hub. Perhaps Ruiz had calmed down, it would make the next task a lot easier. Stepping into the room, Jack did a sweeping look. Nothing but a mess. Bedsheets and pillows were strewn, a table lamp had been smashed on the floor, a cabinet knocked over and drawers spilling their contents. A divider curtain or two had been ripped off its rail. Then there was the gift on the wall, the large splodge of red like some sickening painting that hung in a gallery for people to marvel at or sarcastically say their three-year-old cousin could do just that.

Jack strode towards the ensuite, coat flung back to hover his ready hand over his weapon. There was still no sounds, no light shuffling or heavy breathing, no telltale noise of a man gone mad. Then the tinge of iron hit his nose and his hand dropped to his side. His shoulders fell from where they had risen and tensed up, Jack's breath evened out then he stepped across the threshold, unsurprised by what he now saw.

Huddled up in the corner was the still form of Ioan Ruiz. His limbs were hanging limp beside him, knees bend and only help up by his feet which had planted themselves on the floor. His head was lolled to the side and tipping forward with unseeing eyes and a nasty gash in his head where the skin had been abused and the bone broken into. Blood was still dripping out of the wound, slowly as it began to run out and dry up in the air, a thick crust forming.

Jack crouched in front of him, gently tilting the man's head up. He felt a strike of pity and guilt hit him and Jack sighed a deep sigh. They had been working to save the man but Jack knew it didn't always work out like that, not that it didn't hurt everytime they failed. The Captain then carefully closed Ruiz's eyes and guided his head back down. Only Ruiz's body didn't stay still, something moved under his throat, working its way up. His stomach deflated like a balloon, gradually and more gruesome than a air filled, stretchy, piece of plastic. Jack leaped backwards with a disgusted cry as the corpse seemingly vomited up a bunch of black objects that wriggled about and left a trail of mucus, phlegm, bits of food, and what Jack was sure was urine. Jack gagged, taking a moment before looking down at the ghastly stew that pooled in the man's lap.

"Oh Jesus…"

Amongst the horrid discharge and vomit mixture was just over a dozen flailing worm or centipede like, shiny and black, aliens. They were restless, working their way past the chunks of half digested food and sliding along the froth lined phlegm. Jack searched around for something to grab one of them with, yanking a clean towel from its perch on a hanger and laying it over his hand. With his makeshift protection, Jack scooped up one, holding it securely so it didn't slip from his grasp and then wrapped it in the towel. It was set down in the floor and Jack did the same thing with a second. To Jack's luck, he only had three towels and the rest of the collection had begun to reach each other.

The Captain couldn't help but watch, curiosity getting the better of him. It was fascinating, seeing as the things went of in pairs, knowing just what to do and effortlessly merging together. They melted into one another, adding together their mass to create a larger version of themselves, completely identical apart from size. Jack wondered whether it was one worm adding to the other, only one losing its life to sustain its brethren, or did it make a new mind entirely. This process continued until the remaining eleven aliens had merged into one single alien. It still lay in Ioan's lap but it began to push itself out, head (Jack assumed it was the head) waving up and down in search of another surface to wriggle along.

Jack quickly picked up the specimen he'd stolen, holding then close as he moved to the door. With a wet slap, the alien had fallen to the tiled floor and had started its journey out if the ensuite already. Except, Jack just shut the main door and enter a little passcode just for extra measures.

* * *

"Careful!"

"Sorry, mate."

Ianto glared at their doctor, cursing his dreadful bedside manner. Owen shot him back an unfazed look as he reapplied the bandages dressing his shoulder securely but with little care for how much it hurt. "Not much harm down mate, just disturb the healing. Now, let me have a look at your neck."

Ianto nodded tilting his head backwards for Owen examine the bruising at the front. It hurt as he poked and prodded it as well as when Ianto tried to move it or swallow or breathe. His cold fingers made Ianto shiver but weirdly felt a little soothing to his bruises. Ianto didn't get strangled often but he wasn't a fan of it, only if Jack was the one doing it. Speaking of Jack, Ianto heard heavy steps that could only coincide with the Captain's leather shoes. Ianto looked over to see him standing just outside the autopsy bay with a few towels in his arms. Jack looked grim too.

"How is he?" Jack asked in his loud voice, coming to stand by the railing. He caught Ianto's eye and smiles before dragging his gaze over Ianto's exposed torso.

"He's fine Jack, just a little banged up with a minor concussion."

"Good." Jack then descend the stairs, placing the three rolled up towels on an empty surgical cart. Ianto swore they wriggled but that could have just been his mind playing tricks. Ianto's attention was drawn away as Jack left a peck on his cheek. "I found Ruiz…"

"Is-" Ianto had to swallow thickly, bile caught in his throat as he recalled the state their patient had been in. His throat spasmed a little as he did. "Is he dead?" Jack didn't have to reply, saying it all with just a simple look. Ianto sighed, shutting his eyes. A warm hand took his, squeezing it to convey support.

"His body gave me a present though, delightful event, nasty clean up later though." Ianto opened his eyes again, deciding he didn't want to be the one to mop whatever Jack was speculating to up. Jack had moved back to the trio of towels, peeling one back and holding it securely. "There were a bunch of them, maybe fourteen."

Jack then held up one of the things for them both to see, Owen withdrawing from his work to do it. It was still moving around and clearly trying to get somewhere. Ianto felt himself pale, throat going dry.

"Nasty little looker, isn't he?" Owen snarked, poking it with a gloves finger.

"Got two more, thought maybe you could run some tests Owen, see what make them tick and such."

"Sure can do, just leave 'em there and I'll get right on it after the Tea Boy's checkup." To emphasizes his point, the doctor waves his hand in Ianto's direction, quickly changing his disposable gloves for a fresh pair.

"Oh- there's a massive one down in the medical suite if you want him, locked in for now."

"What happened to there being fourteen?"

"There was originally but then they all joined together, like when bubbles join they become one bigger bubble. This thing did just that and I think it's searching for its last three pieces."

"Okay then-" Owen started but Ianto cut in, still staring at the alien worm centipede.

"I've seen one before.. "

Both men stopped in their tracks, looking to Ianto. Jack swiftly set the alien back down and tilted Ianto's head to look at him.

"What?"

"I- I've seen one before, at one of the victims' houses, Rebecca Chapman."

"You didn't think to tell us?" Jack accused, looking more shocked than angry.

"I just thought it was a bug! We didn't even know what they looked like until now."

"Sorry, you're right." Jack then pressed an extra soft kiss to Ianto's forehead, gently cradling his cheek rather than his neck for now. Owen began to shoo Jack away, muttering something about Jack feeling up his patients mid examination. It just made the Captain smile as he stood back, bounding up the stairs two at a time and giving Ianto a quick glance back before disappearing off into the hub. Ianto felt himself smile but then his and flinch as Owen dabbed something on the back of his neck.

"Sorry."

"No you're not."

"You're right."

"How many is that now?"

"Victims? Oh, five people. Just hoping there are no more lurking around, unfounded and spouting those weird fucking thing."

"Mmm."

The two talked for a little more, mostly throwing banter back at each other with an added swear or insult. Owen was treating the small crescent shaped cuts Ianto could picture he had. They managed to sting like hell while they were being cleaned and Ianto hated thinking about them because they made his thoughts lead to Ioan and what happened to the man as well as what he'd been told. Ianto still had to inform Jack.

Ianto had felt himself drifting off with the methodical touches and procedures from Owen, feeling weirdly relaxed by the whole thing. He blamed it on tiredness and traumatic experience of the day. His eyes had slipped shut when Owen roughing grabbed his bettern shoulder and pushed his head forward. It aggravated his throat and Ianto let out a noise which Owen didn't seem to hear. Ianto struggled a little only the doctor wouldn't let go. "Owen?"

"Shit."


	12. Thursday 28th, 2008

Rhiannon worked her bottom lip between her teeth, hand combing through Mica's hair, who had fallen asleep in her lap. The little one had come crying to her that her lower back and stomach hurt. Rhiannon had seen every excuse in the book not to go to school but act has seen so sincere Rhiannon had to take it very seriously.

So, Rhiannon was worrying. She was used to worrying, being a mother and all, but that never stopped the feeling weighing heavy in her stomach and invading her thoughts every minute. Johnny might have told her to stop, there was no reason for it but she felt she was justified. Like she said, she was a mother.

A doctor's appointment was booked however Rhiannon had given her some painkiller because she couldn't let her daughter stay hurting. Rhiannon had set on a movie for Mica to watch and had made her some sandwiches she had gladly scoffed down. Curled up beside Rhiannon and in her pyjamas, Mica had eventually crawled into her lap and fallen asleep. Rhiannon stayed with her, watching over her. Part of her wanted to call Ianto. She's not sure why, he was a civil servant not a doctor but something told her he might know what to do.

But she didn't.

Ianto didn't need to be bothered if it was something trivial. He was their Uncle, not their Father or Mother. She might phone him after the appointment if the news is dreadful but Rhiannon didn't like to think of that, Mica would be fine. Rhiannon let out an unsteady sigh and kissed her daughter's head.

Rhiannon glanced at her watch. It was only 11am and the appointment was at 1:30pm. David would be home just after 3pm and they should already be back by then. They'd have dinner and Mica would be alright.

As she brushed her daughters hair to the side, that was when Rhiannon noticed the faint rash.

* * *

Sat in their little car, Rhiannon glanced at Mica who was staring out of the window and bouncing her legs along to the music. She didn't seem to be in any pain but that could be the meds still working. However, Mica wasn't her usual bubbly self, singing along despite not knowing a single lyric. She also didn't point out the things she saw as they drove along. Mica loved to do that.

Rhiannon parked up in the hospital car park, switching the engine off and cutting the music. Mica looked at her with a small smile, her Pteradactyl or Pteranadon (Rhiannon couldn't remember which) stuffed toy clenched between tight fingers. She was nervous, Rhiannon could tell.

"Ready, sweetheart?"

Mica nodded, kicking her legs and unclipped her seatbelt. Rhiannon followed suit, getting out of the vehicle and rounding it to meet her daughter. She smiled down at the girl, taking her hand. "It'll be okay, the doctor isn't scary. Tell you what, we can go get an ice cream after this if you can then maybe we'll phone your Uncle Ianto."

The ring tune of Rhiannon's phone started up just as she finsihed mention it. It made her stop, Mica standing beside her and watching with big eyes. Rhiannon looked at the caller, muttering to herself, "Speak of the devil." She answered, Mica's gaze asking her who it was without talking and Rhiannon just gently stroked her cheek.

"Rhiannon?"

"Hello to you too, Ianto." Mica perked up beside her at the mention of Ianto, her hand tugging at Rhiannon's sleeve. She shook her head, to which the young girl pouted.

"Where are you?"

"Oh nice to hear you too, I'm doing well thanks." Rhianon said, voice dripping with sarcasm. She could almost hear Ianto's eye roll. "I'm at the doctor's, why?"

"For Mica?" Ianto said which spiked her attention.

"How'd you know that?"

"Doesn't matter." He replied quickly. "Don't go to that doctor's, come to- well…I have a better doctor at work who can meet with you."

"What? No, why would I do that? Ianto, I'm here now and I'm sure it's nothing to panic about. I'll call later, yeah?"

"Wait, no, Rhi!" Her sigh was signal for her brother to continue. Rhiannon looked at her watch, they were cutting it close and Mica was growing impatient. "I think I might know what's wrong."

"You haven't even seen been together."

"Trust me, Rhi. Please?"

"Oh alright, as long as it doesn't take too long."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Owen?"

"Shit."

Ianto hadn't really known what was going on. One minute he was being calmly checked over by Owen and then the next the dead doctor started rushing around, calling out to Jack and cursing wildly. He had had no idea what Owen found and he'd been worried sick. Owen hadn't answered him. Jack had appeared at the stairs again, vaulting the rail rather than using the steps. His hand had fallen to Ianto's knee affectionately.

"What is it? I thought he was fine?"

"Jack…look here." Ianto had only know Owen was gesturing got his neck by the cold spot that Owen jabbed. Jack had moved from his front, disappearing behind him. Ianto had remained quiet, too worried to ask and listening in on the two. Warm fingers had touched a spot on his neck while gently tilting his head forward, mindful not to hurt him. They were all silent then, before Jack had cursed under his breath and let go of Ianto.

"What is it?" Ianto had asked tentatively, feeling awkward and left out while they knew what was happening and refused to explain. Jack did appear in his vision again, but rather than comfort Ianto he had stormed off towards the stairs without a second glance at him. Ianto called out to him, watched as Jack disappeared as though he hadn't heard him. His head was lifted back up again and Owen stood in front of him, refusing to catch his eye. "What's wrong Owen? I have the right to know!"

"Looks like you've got a case of the climbers." Owen had confessed to Ianto who had know, somewhere deep in the back of his mind that that was already a possibility and that he had been infected for a long while. He just hadn't had the courage to tell a soul but now the job was done for him. And he had felt terrible. It had felt like a moment in a movie where the camera zooms in on the person's face which slowly morphs through all the different stages of grief in just a few milliseconds before reaching either acceptance or denial as their final destination. "I'm sorry mate-" The distance voice of Tosh shouting out to Jack had interrupted them before she had showed up at the height of the stairs.

"Owen? Ianto? What's wrong?" She had taken the stairs carefully, mindful of her impractical stiletto heels she might gave stolen from Ebay, eye that raked over Ianto is a slight panic. "Jack- he just stormed off"

"Tosh…"

"What?" Owen had then gestured to Ianto which only made her more panicked. She had moved closer, taking his hand and squeezed it. Ianto however had been stuck in a sort of trance, mulling over what he'd just learned while he so wished he was back as one of the blissfully ignorant. "What's wrong?"

"He's infected."

* * *

Jack watched Ianto closely, unhappy that the man wasn't willing to rest with his concussion and eventful day. He hadn't needed to come, they wouldn't have been low on hands to help. Owen was going to check Mica and Gwen would talk to her, while Tosh would join Jack as they canvassed the estate for any other kids or adults who might have found a rash. Ianto could have been at home resting up nicely but the man was stubborn and worried about his niece more than himself.

Ianto didn't look all that great. In fact he looked like death warmed over. His pale complexion had met a new shade of pale and there were bags resting under his tired eyes. The meds he was on probably weren't helping him stay focused as they dulled the pain. Ianto was standing slumped as they all waited around for Rhiannon to arrive back, occasionally he would roll his shoulder or go to itch the back of his neck before rethinking and stopping.

Jack had caught Owen observing him as well.

An engine caught their attention as it rolled up and switched off. A small silver car had its front passenger door swung open in haste while the driver's one open a little more modestly. A small shape whizzed past Gwen and almost knocked her of her feet while calling out.

"Uncle Ianto!"

Like magic, Ianto suddenly changed completely. A bright smile broke out on his face as he crouched to scoop up the excited child heading towards him. He rose with her momentum and spun his niece around, making her giggle. Ianto looked a different man, much happier and a little less "yes sir, no sir". Jack realised he liked it.

"God, that's cute." Tosh's voice said quietly behind him. Jack had almost forgotten she was there, fully engrossed in watching his lover. He turned to the woman, a light smile on her features.

"I think I just fell in love again, Tosh." The Captain confessed to her, looking back to Ianto who was talking quietly to Mica, who was hugging her Uncle close. She was dressed in pyjamas with a shirt covered in panda heads of different sizes and black trousers with white spots on then, dinosaur toy in one hand. Ianto looked absolutely enthralled by whatever the girl was saying. The Captain's heart did seem to flip at the sight. Jack didn't notice the knowing smile Tosh tried to conceal.

A woman had strode up to Ianto's side whom Jack assumed was Rhiannon. They hadn't met yet but Jack could see the likeness in the siblings now that he saw them together. Ianto was definitely her little brother. The two whispered quietly to one another before Rhiannon said louder.

"He is gorgeous." Jack felt his smile widen and his ego grow. Ianto just buried his face in his palm and audibly groaned. Jack took that as his queue to go over, catching Rhiannon's attention with his flowing coat and stainless smile. He took her hand, kissing the top of it.

"Captain Jack Harkness, it's a pleasure to meet you Rhiannon Davies." Her eyebrow raised as a slight blush painted her cheeks but it didn't last long and her eyes rolled in amusement. Ianto visibly cringed beside him and Jack felt an odd joy in embarrassing his lover.

"Captain Harkness." Was all she said and Jack decided he liked her a lot. Then his coat lapel was grasped and yanked, Jack turning in brief alarm but seeing it was only Mica. The young girl smiled at him from where she sat in Ianto's arms.

"Hi!" Jack felt his heart swell at the cuteness, being reminded of his grandson Steven who he didn't see nearly enough. He then took one of her smaller hands and also kisses the top of it.

"Hello, my names Jack, Mica."

"Are you here to make me feel better?"

"We sure are. That man over there," Jack pointed towards Owen who was wearing his leather coat and shuffling around impatiently on the spot. "He's a doctor. He might seem all grumpy and mean but he'll help you as best he can." He turned his gaze to Ianto. "You know the plan. We'll see you later."

Ianto nodded with a tired smile hidden from anyone who wouldn't have noticed it. He then adjusted his grip on Mica and Jack joined back over at Tosh's side, not staying to hear Ianto explain it all to Rhiannon. The two then took off, heading to some of the further off neighbours having already seen the closer few as they waited for Ianto's sister. None of them had been clearly infected by the Climber. A few parents had been weary but either Jack's charm or Tosh's intellect won them over.

The duo worked through the estate housing, asking those who answered whether they or anyone in the family had developed an rash behind their neck recently. Unfortunately, as they moved onto the next house after the next, it became apparent to Jack that the number of infected people they had found here was still a solid none. It was good because it meant there were less people who were in danger but they didn't have any idea whether they were really able to tick people off the list. And, no matter how tedious it was or how rude the residents were, they had to keeping going in risk of missing something important.

Jack knocked politely on one of the last couple or so doors and waited for it to open, tapping his foot on the stone square he had planted a foot in. He kept his other foot in another square, keeping his shoe off the crack as the rhyme "step on a crack, break your mother's back" filtered into his thoughts. It wasn't something he believed in and even so, his mother was yet to be born. Jack just liked having one foot on one stone, something oddly pleasing about it.

"Yes?" Said a voice coated in a deep Welsh accent. It wasn't nearly as luxurious to hear as Ianto's Welsh vowels nor was it as friendly. Jack had a momentary attitude of dislike which only furthered when he took in the man's appearance and mood. First impressions are important and this one wasn't looking so promising.

* * *

Owen looked down at his newest and smallest patient of the week and smiled. Mica was sat sideways on one of the dining room chairs with her legs swinging where they couldn't reach the floor. She looked quite calm but clearly in discomfort, her small hands gripping the edge of the chair. Owen reached forward and gently ruffled her hair, grabbing Mica's attention.

"You ready, kid?" He asked, rooting through his kit for his Bekaren scanner. Turning back to her, Mica was nodding, watching the scanner a little wearily. Owen crouched in front of her, tapping the alien tech with his palm. "This is going to help me take a look at you, like all your icky inside bits." He made a face and Mica began to giggle, relaxing a little and no longer holding the chair in a death grip. Owen glanced over at Ianto who was hovering worriedly and looked like he was going to collapse if he didn't get rest.

"Hold on a sec, Mica. I just need to talk to your uncle." He placed the Bekaren scanner on the table and stood, moving to Ianto's side. "Mate, at least sit down, if you pass out you're only going to worry Mica, yeah?" Ianto gave a resigned sigh and straightened up from where be had begun to slouch over the counter, arms cross over his chest. He rubbed his eyes and let Owen lead him to the sofa. Ianto could lean against the cushions while angling his body enough to see the two of them. Satisfied, Owen returned to Mica. Her gaze was still on her Uncle. "Don't worry about him too much kid, he'll be fine, your Uncle Ianto just needs a good sleep."

"Are you helping both of us?" She asked innocently.

"Of course I am, I'm Doctor Owen Harper, the best doctor there is." Mica glanced over at Ianto as if to ask him if Owen was telling the truth. He nodded and Mica smiled at Owen, complete trust in her eyes. He could definitely see that she was Ianto's relative: the same button nose and head shape. "I'm just going to have take a look at the back of your neck, is that alright, miss Davies?" Owen queried as he slapped on some blue, disposable gloves. The girl smiled at the honorific and use of her surname, nodding again.

The doctor thanked her gently, circling around her to check over neck. He brushed away her hair which was pulled up in two separate pigtails. He used one hand to hold her shoulder while the other was used to manipulate her head so he could get a better glance at her neck. Mica shivered under his lack of warmth in his fingers but didn't comment. At first he couldn't see anything but as Owen looked closer, the very faint and pink patch of skin told him he had found what he was looking for. He swiped his thumb over it but there was no reason from Mica.

Owen decided to not catch Ianto's ever watching gaze and instead moved onto using the scanner, explaining again to Mica what it would do and how it was safe. She didn't seem to need her Uncle's approval this time, happy with what Owen was telling her in as simple terms as he could for the kid. He was slow as he waved the device over Mica's body, letting her talk about a few random things as he worked. Listening in as the best he can as he concentrated on the alien tech, Owen offends small noises of back channelling as she went on. As he was nearing the end of the scan, Mica had started talking about Ianto and all the many things they did together. Owen found himself smiling along to it, somehow he could always see Ianto as the cool, caring uncle Mica gushed about.

"What now, Doctor Owen?" Mica asked him, eyes following as he stood up and fiddled with the scanner.

"Now, Miss Davies, we wait for the results to come through. While we do, why don't you go sit with your uncle, keep him company?" Mica nodded enthusiastically, jumping down from her seat and bouncing her way over to Ianto who accepted her into a hug gratefully. Owen glanced down at the scanner's display, it was just calculating things and should be done soon. He had just disposed of his gloves when soemthing came to mind. "Mica, you're not in pain are you?" The little girl shook her head from where she'd poked it up to look at Owen.

"I was earlier but my mam gave me some medicine."

"Where did it hurt?"

"My tummy and back." Owen nodded slightly, chewing on his lip. Ianto hadn't reported any pain yet so he had to assume they effected children differently to adults. That could throw a spanner in the works but Owen would have to see.

A knock from the door grabbed the doctor's attention and there stood Gwen, looking like she always did after interviewing a witness. She looked relieved to have it over an done with but at least this time it wasn't them coming to tell that her daughter or brother had died. They were just infected and Owen wasn't going to stop until they get cured. Rhiannon stepped into the room after Gwen not looking to happy but upon seeing her child with Ianto and smiling at her, the woman seemed to relax a little, the tension dropped from her shoulders and a smile formed.

"Mind if I just do a quick check of your, Mrs Davies?" Rhiannon looked at him, again showing that the two were siblings with just a simple gaze. She have out a sigh but dropped herself in the chair. Owen made this one a little quicker, thankfully finding no rash and scanning Rhiannon over when Mica's data was finished. Both pieces of information were sent to his PDA.

Rhiannon's scan came up clear to Owen's and everyone else's relief but when he pulled up Mica's he had to look a little closer. Nothing was black like Ioan Ruiz's organs had been however there was some sort of mass situated around her kidneys and stomach. Owen assumed, with the faint rash he found, that Mica was infected however clearly not as much as Ruiz or Ianto. Perhaps because she was a child then? The aliens might not like children in a sense. That was something to mention to Jack, for possible future cases. Owen just hoped it didn't mean anything bad was going to become of little Mica Davies.


	13. Thursday, 28th and Friday, 29th 2008

Jack sat with his head in his hands, fingers wound tight in his hair as he let out a deep and troubled sigh. His eyes flickered over to the open bunker hatch from where he could hear snoring. Knowing they belonged to Ianto and being able to picture the young Archivist in bed, lying on his stomach with his mouth open the way he does so often when he's wake and letting out the periodic snores and sometimes a drop of saliva soaking onto the pillow, had Jack's spell of worries dissipate for just a brief second. He wondered if he thought about that image every second then surely he would be cured of his anxieties but for Jack nothing was ever that simple or kind in the world. Picturing the image always worked but would soon just loop back around to the cause of his plight and ruin his day all over again. Ianto was, in these circumstances, not only his helping hand up from the worries but also a hand unknowingly letting you just fall.

Jack was utterly taken by Ianto and there was nothing he could do about that.

What he could do however was help his Welsh lover from dying of this Climber alien because Jack was determined not to lose him just yet (or ever if possible.) So Jack had persuaded Ianto to head down into the and take a nap, his puppy eyes and praying hands had proven too powerful against the Archivist, and he had successfully got Ianto to sleep as evidenced with the snoring. The Captain was tempted to slip down there and join him, but he wanted to shift through any and all information they could gather on the invasive alien in case there was some hint at a cure. He didn't know how much time they had.

Down in the medical bay, Jack knew Owen and Tosh were preparing to perform a few tests on the three specimens Jack had caught. One was to be kept for studying while the other two could be their test subjects. Another issue was the large visitor down in the medical ward, still locked in. Jack had the idea to release it and follow where it goes either by microchip or just simple walking along with it. It could lead them to the other four that were out there in the world. Speaking of the world, Jack thought about how many were out there, he hoped to god there were no more, none they had missed or were missing right now. Nobody left to decay not found or not even dead yet and possibly even someone they could save or at least help go in comfort.

His desk was littered with paperwork in a way that even the most untidiest of people would disprove of. Some of his ornaments and sentimentals had been moved to clear out more space. At the head of his desk and furthest away from Jack were the victims files including Ianto and Mica Davies. To his right was anything UNIT had on the Climber with anything found online that seemed familiar but under a different name. Then behind him was a monitor on their bigger guest. Sat between his arms was Ianto's notes he'd gathered from Ruiz, his handwriting just making Jack that little bit sadder.

The pad of Jack's finger loosely traced the effortless drawing of a flower Ianto had made. It was pretty despite its line being rough and proportions not exactly equal. But it was a sight better than what Jack could do. He smiled to himself, wondering what else Ianto could draw. Ianto had watched the Titanic, right? He shook the slightly devious thoughts away, keeping them stored for another time and turning back to the things on his desk.

The clock ticked along and Jack eventually got lost in his work, trying to figure out how to help. He looked through the reports over and over again until he was sure his eyes had gone square and all he would ever see again was those words. Rubbing his eyes, Jack looked away and stood up, stretching until his spine popped and the endorphins were released and his blood was flowing. A soft groan fell from his mouth and Jack shook the stiffness from his limbs as he walked away from his desk. He stopped by the bunker, watching as Ianto slept on, feet tangled in the sheets and face buried in the pillow. Jack could see the ugly rash that sat on his neck. Somehow they missed it.

He wants to drop down there and kiss Ianto's head or tuck him back in but Jack didn't want to risk waking him, so he just watched him for another second before leaving his office. A flask of coffee stood waiting by the coffee machine and Jack ventured over to it, pouring himself a generous amount into his stripped mug and walking back. He veered off into the medical bay this time.

"How's it going, kids?" Tosh looked up, bags under her eyes while Owen kept his head bent over one of the aliens.

"Just collecting tissue and blood samples, Jack." The doctor said. "We're going to scan one next, see what's on the inside. I could use another, I'd like to open it up but I need these three untouched."

"There's the big guy downstairs but I had a plan for him already."

"Mmm, guess we'll have to make do then." Jack took a sip of his coffee, watching them work. On one of the worktops was two boxes each containing a wriggling alien slug which Jack grimaces at. He hated the idea that they could burst from his lover's body at any point. "Oh, and Jack please tell Ms Sato here she needs to go home and rest."

"I don't. I'm fi-" The technician started to argue.

"Owen's right Tosh, you look like you could drop off right there."

"Fine..."

"Thank you." The Captain said softly, watching as Tosh removed her disposable gloves and took a step away.

Jack went back to his office once he was satisfied Tosh had left, he had watched the woman leave then proceeded to spy on her car as it rolled out of the garage. He took another quick look at Ianto before settling back in his seat for a long night.

* * *

"These things are nasty."

Was the first thing Gwen said upon seeing the fat, slimy, and wriggling alien that Jack had managed to secure in a large glass tank. It kept trying to get out but there was no way it could, small holes in the roof too far up for it to reach and the four walls it had around it were fitted properly. She looked at it from her seat, the box on the small coffee table they had. Jack was perched on the old sofa, finger tapping the glass and achieving nothing to her eyes. The things didn't react to him at all or go for the array of food in the corner. It just kept trying to get out.

"It's looking for its siblings, I think. Some sort of instinct, they just know where the others are and want to merge together."

"What are we going to do with it?"

"Well, once Owen and Tosh have finished their testing and when they'll hopefully know how to deal with them, we'll set this guy free and follow him to where he goes."

"Sounds fun."

"You bet." Jack said with a smirk, trying to ease the mood but Gwen could see there was the usual 110% he always gave his smiles. She took a sip of her coffee, grimacing at the less than typical standard which was Ianto's god tier coffee. With the Archivist crashing in Jack's bunker, she had had to make do with her own brew, and she really had been spoiled with her friend's coffee. Thinking of Ianto, Gwen asked,

"And Ianto?" Jack's eyes flickered over to his office, no doubt towards the bunker hatch, then back at her.

"What about him?"

"Will he be okay?"

"We'll…he's going to be okay, Owen and Tosh are working hard, and we'll figure out something." The Captain said, eyes now downcast at the tank rather than her. She knew it was a tough subject for him but Gwen thought they needed to approach it just in case.

"And if we don't." Gwen questioned, knowing it was a possibility that things could always go sideways, and they could lose Ianto. She hated the thought, hated it immensely. He was her friend, and she couldn't bear to lose him, not to something like this.

"We will." He declared with a little bit of force and Gwen sighed.

"Jack, I know you don't want to talk about it-"

"You're right, I don't. "

A moment of awkward silence passed between them and Gwen waited until the irritation had settled before speaking up again.

"Rhiannon doesn't show any signs nor does she remember anything out of the ordinary, just some new flowers in the park, but she didn't stop to look at them." Gwen recalled, crossing out Ianto's sister's name from their list of infected.

"Yeah, Owen says her scans were fine and Mica had a mass but nothing like what we saw with Ruiz. Might be that-" A cough cut Jack off and the two looked towards his office this time. Standing in the doorway was Ianto with ruffled bed hair and his suit on. Not to his normal perfect standards but Gwen wasn't judging, the man was having an ordeal and didn't have time to focus on his spick and span he was. Ianto still looked a little asleep as he pulled his jacket on.

"Was going on?" He asked quietly, stepping through the threshold. Jack rose from his seat and guided the younger man to the sofa, eyes tracking over his appearance. Gwen gently caught his hand in hers as he moved passed, squeezing it and sending him an encouraging smile. Ianto tried to reciprocate but it was only a tired smile before his gaze settled on the tank, eyebrows raising a little. "Is that-"

Nobody answered but Ianto seemed satisfied with the answer he got from their looks. Gwen caught the movement of Jack's hand, seeing as it intertwined with Ianto's. She looked away as the Captain smiled a soft smile she had never seen and realised was only reserved for Ianto. This wasn't something for her to witness, so she wouldn't. Instead, Gwen turned to her monitor. Things were quiet for a bit apart from the soft whispering between the two men until they got much louder.

"Ianto, you need to rest."

"Jack, I have been resting, I want to do things." Ianto replied, still sounding tired but firm.

"You have a concussion."

"I'm not going to be doing gymnastics, just make some coffee and myself some food."

"I'll do that for you." It sounded like an offer but Gwen knew Jack was practically telling Ianto to sit down and deal with it.

"Jack."

"Ianto." Gwen couldn't help but glance over, both men staring at each other as a silent conversation passed through them. She bit her lip, not wanting to interrupt but knowing Ianto should be resting. A heavy sigh left Jack's lips and his shoulders slumped.

"Thank you. I won't do anything else, promise."

"I trust you." Jack said quietly, still watching his partner as Ianto moved around the tank with a soft thank you, and descended the stairs. Gwen watched as Jack's eyes never left him. The Captain sighed again, fist connecting with the glass lid of the tank but thankfully not damaging it or itself. It did make Gwen jump slightly but she stayed quietly. She didn't want to piss him off any more and would let the two sort themselves out, Gwen just hoped this case wouldn't have such unhappy endings like for all the previous victims.

She didn't know what would happen if it did.


End file.
